


Where There's Smoke...

by akaDG (NotAFandomFan)



Series: Pyrolysis [1]
Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Kray Sucks, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:07:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 106,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21634873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotAFandomFan/pseuds/akaDG
Summary: Galo learns the hard way that some rescues aren't so simple.When the immediate repercussions of losing the Promare hit Lio, his bond with Galo becomes a matter of survival for the Burnish leader. Forging a path to recovery is both painful and revealing, and it's final test promises a deadly price for failure.It's H/C, folks. With stakes.
Relationships: Burning Rescue Members & Galo Thymos, Lio Fotia & Gueira & Meis, Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos, Mad Burnish & Burning Rescue
Series: Pyrolysis [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1559413
Comments: 214
Kudos: 682





	1. So Yesterday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to appolloop for giving this a beta read! You gave me the confidence to post.
> 
> I'm a reluctant perfectionist, so I have to make all sorts of excuses and disclaimers before I share my work. So you can just skip this part.
> 
> Still here? Are you a perfectionist, too? Sucks, right?
> 
> This fic is not even remotely perfect. It's kind of a dump that I didn't put serious effort into editing. It hasn't been streamlined or refined, I didn't go back and correct for characterization, I know there's definitely some repetition of theme, pacing problems, choppy tone shifts, probably canon conflicts, etc.
> 
> So. Real drafty. Must have left the window open. Are you still here? Fine, quick summary and then you can get on with it.
> 
> This story is bloated with H/C, mutual clueless pining, convoluted character arcs, and contrived almost-kisses. It is constantly edging. The logic of the plot devices is extremely nonsensical (so, fits right in with Promare) and they blatantly exist only because I want certain things to happen. In short, this work is pure self-indulgence. 
> 
> By necessity, there were some head canon choices made--some because I like them, some just because an explanation was necessary and I went with what best fit the story. I'll try to clarify those in the notes, if it's not explicit in the prose. One that I will explain more about later is that I have Lio with the Mad Burnish and Galo with Burning Rescue for longer than is implied in the official side stories. I just wanted them to have more history/bond with each other than a few months would afford.
> 
> Kbye.

And just like that, the fire was gone and the thrilling connection of two joined hearts dissolved. Galo blinked and took a deep breath as he realized he was no longer flying across the solar system on the wings of a dragon made of protective fire or waving a colossal matoi, but instead stood once more on the broken Parnassus with its torn hull and fractured tower. A bright sun was beginning to shine over the thoroughly defeated behemoth, and with a grin he ran towards the edge to see the dawning of the new world.A world saved and a world to rebuild. He stretched his fists in the air. He'd done the first part with the shining star known as Lio, and he was definitely planning to do the second part with the same partner. He couldn't wait.

Glancing back, his smile faltered at the sight of Lio, face in shadows, speaking to the man Galo used to admire more than anything in the world. Kray, who had always made him believe he could do the impossible, this time had been the one who tore down everything Galo thought he knew, had broken his confidence hard. Galo's eyes immediately sought the figure beside his former mentor, slight and easily dwarfed by Kray's bulk, but straight and strong and willing to stand against anything to save his people. A soul that matched the fire of his own. It was Lio--fierce, honest, heart raging--who had pulled him up each time Galo sank the past few days. His brutal truth, undeniable determination, and, perhaps most of all, his vulnerability had lit a stronger fire in Galo than he'd ever experienced. This was someone he had _needed_ to save, and Lio had turned right around and saved him back. Because that's who they were.

Galo's shoulders tensed as he looked at Lio standing, head bowed in the shade, still far too close to the influence of Kray. Lio shouldn't be standing in that shadow, he should be here, shining in the sunlight they'd fought so hard for. Well, the gravity between them was stronger than Kray's. Time to pull.

_Stay with me._

"It burned like a dream! This is the beginning. The city's new beginning." Galo exclaimed loudly, turning back to the horizon ahead. He was rewarded with the sound of Lio's footsteps approaching, and his heartbeat sped up in inexplicable anticipation. He could hear the rest of the Burning Rescue team assembling behind him, but his focus was on the petit figure that drew alongside him, all weary grace with an inquisitive look quickly replacing whatever dark lines had previously lingered on his face.

"Let's clean up after the fire. Lio, you're gonna help too." Galo grinned over, no room for argument.

_Stay with me._

"What??" Lio pushed back, incredulous.

"We're short of hands. We'll get your buddies to help too!"

Lio's face tensed. "But…"

A momentary memory of Lio leaving him behind in a cave, declaring it too dangerous for the Burnish to stay while they were being hunted and abused, flickered through Galo's mind. Never again.

"Don’t worry, if the haters give you heat, I’ll put them out! Through spark and flame, I got your backs!"

_Stay with me._

He was rewarded with a sight that made his chest feel like it was completely filled, overflowing. Every aspect of Lio glowed up at him as his shoulders relaxed slightly, his figure softening as it turned an inch further towards him.

"You really are an idiot." But his eyes spoke of gratitude and trust with that exasperation.

"Yeah! The universe's #1 firefighting idiot!" And they could do anything together. He held his fist out.

_Stay with me._

Lio's knuckles bumped into his, somehow both soft and firm. Shy but determined. And this was it. Definitely. Galo's favorite Lio moment. There had been many great ones (also the worst ever, but he wasn't going to think about that right now). Not that he was intentionally keeping track, it's just, the novel joy of those moments had branded themselves into him. He had never experienced anything as exciting as his first battle against Lio. At least not until they were actually joined together as one to fight their common enemy. Lio watching his back and supporting what he needed with perfect understanding. Even soaring together in a teal fire that consumed and protected at the same time, unrestrained, souls singing in perfect sync as they literally saved two worlds. All those moments were glorious. But the Lio standing here unguarded and beautiful beside him, arm outstretched to connect with him, silently shook the world in a new way.

And he wanted to extend his arm further, step closer, until his palm could curve around the elegant slope of that cheek, fingertips burying into the silky strands behind his ear, get close enough to see what was making those amethyst eyes still flare now that the Promare fire was gone. Smooth the skin of those delicate cheekbones with his callous-rough thumbs, and _why is he even wearing gloves and why is his skin on fire and why is he feeling like this again and why is Lio shaking--no, shivering…_

"You're cold!" Lio, who was looking concerned at whatever face Galo had been making, jumped as Galo all but shouted, voice pitched a bit higher than usual."Y-yes, I imagine it will take some getting used to. Not burning…" Lio quietly admitted, gesturing with his hand in a way Galo recognized he used to summon his fire. Used to use.

Galo's medical rescue training instantly kicked in and he registered what had been in front of him all along. The shivers Lio seemed to be trying to suppress, even in the warm desert sunlight, the spread of goosebumps along his bare arms and torso--every line, plane, and curve of glowing skin begging to be touched, his own body was warm, maybe on fire, he should share, wrap him up in some of that heat--

"A jacket!" Galo pointed back to the toppled Rescuemobile as Lio raised a questioning eyebrow. "I have one. You should use it, medical reasons not because it's distracting, stay warm--"Galo watched as Lio's eyes followed his gesture and took in the gathered Burning Rescue team. They widened slightly at the sight of Kray being loaded under guard into a local police hover craft. Galo wondered when they had gotten there.

"That… would probably be good." Lio acknowledged and Galo could see his shoulders brace again, a weight descending as the moment of light and joy ended, and Galo felt its loss. But a moment later, with Lio sending him a quick, grateful little smile, a spark leapt back into Galo and he dashed off to the truck to get something warm for his partner.After all, Galo thought with a critical backwards glance, there was still a lot of rescuing to be done today. It would probably be pretty distracting for everyone in the midst of handling this emergency situation to see the graceful way Lio's neck curved into his shoulder...

****

Ignis gave himself credit for a fair amount of discernment, but it didn't take keen observation skills to see when his youngest team member was acting like more of an idiot than usual, racing to the truck as if his pants were once more on fire. One Lio Fotia seemed to again be the source of whatever freakout Galo was currently going through. Ignis quietly assessed the smaller figure as he approached, observing the young face shifting to the no-nonsense almost-glare he recognized as a signature of the Mad Burnish leader. Just shy of hostile this time. Well, Ignis could work with that.

With a walking gait that seemed simultaneously urgent and unhurried, Lio Fotia, world's most-wanted Burnish criminal, walked directly up to the Promepolis chief of police and the Burning Rescue Squad 3 captain and team. Ignis almost wanted to smile at the way he stopped immediately outside of arms distance. Bold but not stupid. He had to apply sharper observation skills to see what he already expected of this enigma who had just somehow saved their world. But it was there. Worry. Exhaustion. And yet a readiness to keep fighting to see his mission through.

Ignis understood. So when Lio squared off for confrontation and opened his mouth to speak, Ignis jumped right in.

"What do you need?"

Lio's mouth stilled, slightly parted, as he directed a carefully probing look at the fire captain. Assessing the situation before making his first move.

"What do you need to finish this rescue?" Ignis clarified.

"You can't seriously be planning to allow Mad Burnish, _terrorists_ , to dictate emergency operations here," the police chief cut in with a tone just on the professional side of derision. She was a statuesque figure in her tailored uniform, with a look that Ignis knew always demanded quick decisions and prompt action. Her radio was quietly running with the nonstop chatter of frustrated first responders trying to coordinate across Promepolis in an overwhelming situation.

"Considering most of the people needing emergency services here are Burnish, I think it's reasonable to listen to the one who understands and represents them, Chief Sideros." Ignis' sunglasses glinted as he tilted his head. He had only had a chance to give her a brief overview of the situation so far, clarification was obviously needed.

"The citizens of our city are suffering from the infrastructure damage and violence visited upon them by those on this ship. We need all the resources we can spare aiding them. I understand the Burnish here are not necessarily to blame, but are they _dying_? We have an untold number of _our_ citizens stranded under wreckage, likely injured. I don't think we can prioritize _individuals_ who are secure where they are. We can find alternative housing for them later when national support gets here."

There was no verbally jumping in front of Lio this time.

"These Burnish are _human beings_ who were brought to _your_ city by _your_ governor against their will! They've been held captive and tortured and practically killed and are currently stuck like bugs pinned to a wall, by the monsters _you_ put in power!" Lio had gathered an impressive amount of rage in a body so small, so when he moved toe-to-toe with Sideros, his presence pushed the taller woman back a step. " _Are they dying_?! Is that what it would take for--"

"Everything was all tumbled up and crazy in there, but I found it!" Galo declared, jogging into the scene with his red Burning Rescue jacket held triumphantly aloft. He marched up to Lio who had redirected his wide-eyed death glare at the clueless man.

Without preamble, Galo tossed it around Lio's shoulders and zipped it straight up, Lio instinctively shoving his arms in the sleeves.

Ignis noted that Galo didn't immediately register the gaping looks he was getting from the group. The bubbly man had stilled, staring with his own expression of shock at Lio, who still glared even though only half of his face was now showing above the high-necked collar. Galo's jacket positively swallowed the smaller form, hem at midthigh, fingertips barely peaking out from draping sleeves.

"I think I made it worse." Galo declared.

Face flushed, he darted over to where Aina stood beside Ignis and began whispering to her. "It's too, y'know… too cute, right? Distracting?"Aina bit her lip in silent agreement, but also stomped on his foot with a hushed, "Not now!"

Lio interrupted their private whispering. "Of course you made it worse! You really have no sense of timing, do you?"

Galo straightened and grinned back at Lio. "No time like the present! That's why it's called a present! Ahahahaha!"Ignis dropped his face into his hand and began to massage this brow.

"Tch. That's _not_ at all how the saying goes, and _not_ the point." Lio's glare began to morph with exasperation.

"You were cold, right? No rescue, however small, should wait!" Galo declared.

Lio's glowering was broken by a shake of his head and what sounded suspiciously like a snort-chuckle, then he straightened and pointed a dramatic finger. "You can't interrupt me in the middle of my pose! I'm announcing my intentions!" Lio mimicked Galo's tone and general protest from their first battle with a pointed look.

Everyone could see the moment realization dawned on Galo's face as he looked around at the tense stand-off, and gave a quick, sheepish apology.

Varys side-eyed Remi. "Did Fotia just speak Galo?"

Remi nodded. "That…is terrifying. The corruption of another poor soul."

"Very interesting." Lucia gave a small cackle.

But they all uncoiled at the lessening of tension in the air.

"There," Ignis addressed Sideros and gestured to Lio, now wearing part of a Burning Rescue uniform. "It's official."

Lio and Sideros both looked like they wanted to protest, but then Lio sighed. His tone became more subdued as he unzipped the collar and rolled up the cuffs of the sleeves, but his brow creased as he returned his attention to the urgent needs of his people."We need to free everyone from that death trap _now_ ," Lio demanded. Ignis nodded and Galo raised a clenched fist in agreement as Lio continued, "They'll need a safe place to rest, eat, and recover as we organize what to do long-term, also protection from those who would harm or neglect them," his eyes flicked to the police chief, "The basic human things you'd offer any _normal_ disaster victims. There are injuries, and everyone will need medical treatment and pain management, and we…" Lio paused. "We should figure out who didn't make it."

Sideros had the grace to pause and give an introspective nod."My units are stretched thin," she began, but in a decidedly more conciliatory tone. "The former governor didn't hold back on his military might. Against his own city." Venom laced her voice. "Frustrating that those Freeze Force bastards got away. They're not the first priority, though. How many people are stuck in this boat?"

"About twenty thousand Burnish."

Everyone stared as Heris announced the figure. Her quiet voice steady but her eyes unwilling to make contact as she stood close to Aina and faced the group.

"They gathered almost half the world's known remaining Burnish here. There were losses. Twenty thousand were needed to power the ship. What's more, if they've all lost their connection to the Promare's regenerative fire, they likely will not have had time to fully heal from the physical traumas of the past couple days."

Lio nodded with a shadowed look in his eyes. "The Promare did what they could before they left. But for a Burnish, the more damage sustained, the slower and more… layered the healing is." He tilted his head, trying to think how to explain. "Older damage will have had longer to heal, more recent things will still be in progress. Yesterday's wounds won't come back fresh, but they will need to finish healing, and they'll feel it. They need somewhere safe to rest."

"Evacuation and safe relocation with medical attention." Ignis confirmed. "That's exactly what Burning Rescue is trained for."

Sideros nodded. "Right. We'll leave you to run point. As we get the city further under control, we'll send you what assistance we can." And the police chief was off, giving rapid-fire directions to the voices giving her updates through her radio. She paused midstride and looked back over her shoulder at Heris.

"You were Kray's lead scientist. You clearly knew what was going on here. You should be in custody."

Heris raised her eyes for the first time and met Sideros' accusation. "I should be, but right now I'm of greatest use here. I know how to work the machinery. We need to free these people."

Sideros stared for only a second longer before shifting to nod at Ignis.

"Don't lose her."

Ignis nodded, then asked Aina to start getting on the line with Promepolis' other Burning Rescue stations to pull in their manpower. He turned to Heris as she began explaining what was required to unload the captive Burnish. Lio's face was carefully devoid of emotion as he listened to her describe getting to the loading room and the way they'd need to work section by section. She was flipping rapidly through programs and schematics on a tablet, and announced that about 200 of the pods' mechanics were damaged and would require manual aid, but the rest should be fairly straightforward to retract and offload. The pinch point would be having support teams and resources to give the weary captives aid.Ignis turned to his team and with the efficiency of a practiced leader addressing a synced set of professionals, got everyone moving with orders and instructions to stay in constant communication. This was going to be a big job, and time was of the essence. Varys was running point on setting up security and coordination with the police. Remi was assigned to work with Heris on the release logistics and coordinating with the local hospitals for medical support. Galo would manage the retrieval of the Burnish from the broken pods using a special set of jetpacks and harnesses Lucia had invented for tricky rescues. Aina owned coordinating transportation and temporary shelter. As usual, Lucia was acting as comms coordinator and resource manager. Incoming Burning Rescue personnel from other stations would be allocated through these team leads.

As his squad quickly began contacting the needed city support branches and Heris plotted out a mechanical sequence for releasing the Burnish, Ignis turned to Lio.

"Anything we're missing that the Burnish will need?"

Ignis watched as Lio mentally ran through the scenario with a look of concentration.

"They're not used to trusting people in uniforms. They've been through a lot and need time to process and recover, and being directed by outsiders they're used to fearing will be one more stress point." Lio tapped his fingers against his thigh as he thought through the problem.

"I assume you'll want to be on the frontlines where the Burnish are being released from pods?"

Lio nodded and continued with a hint of bitterness in his tone. "I doubt they documented the names of the _disposable fuel_ the put in each container. But if we can get all the Mad Burnish members from the recently destroyed settlement released first, we can see if they're in a state to partner with the rescue teams. We need some familiar faces to reassure the rest of the people being released."

Ignis' estimation of the Burnish leader increased as he understood the sensitive and sensible nature of the suggestion. He called Heris over and in under a minute, she had located the section holding most of the Burnish recently captured from the nearby settlement and set it to priority one. She returned to update Remi. Lio flicked his gaze back to Ignis with a nod of thanks and turned to follow, but the fire captain halted him with a hand on his shoulder. Ignis could feel the immediate tension that filled the small frame, so he let go.

Ignis knew this day had been exhausting for all of them, but he could only begin to imagine what fallout Lio was dealing with. He'd manifested as a fire dragon, powered a battle mech, fought a monster, channeled twenty thousand Burnish fires, and done something none of them really understood in order to release the Promare and save the world. And that was only what Ignis knew about. On top of that, he'd lost his means of protection and recovery in the process, and now had to rely on strangers he was naturally distrustful of to rescue the people he clearly cherished more than his own life.

In a very quiet tone, Ignis asked, "What do _you_ need?"

Lio gave him a baffled look that quickly morphed to suspicion.

"I'm the leader of Mad Burnish. I attacked your city twice in the last couple weeks, I almost burned the whole thing down. I understand it's your job to rescue the innocent people on this ship, but why ask about _me_?" Lio questioned bluntly, challenging, like he was calling Ignis out.

Ignis felt his lips quirk but something sad settled in his chest at this reaction. He crossed his arms and thought about how his offer of help might be best received.

"Yes, you attacked. You could have killed many through intention or indifference, but you didn't. Those Burnish flames were non-lethal, and I know that takes willpower. You wanted to make a statement, not slaughter people, and that's more than I can say for those you fought against. Then you went a step further and saved one of my team. Not to mention the world. So, if anything, I'd say we owe you."

Lio looked away for a moment, clearly still unsettled by Ignis' observations, trying to find the real motive for his concern. Then his face cleared.

"Don't worry, I won't take Galo up on it," Lio nodded to the edge of the Parnassus where Galo had declared for all to hear that they would rebuild together and he'd have Lio's back. "I know that wasn't his offer to make."

"I'm the captain and what I say goes. That offer stands from my team." Ignis smiled as Lio blinked up at him in surprise. "Besides, have you ever tried to stop Galo?"

Lio's whole demeanor shifted as he laughed, a sound that drew Galo's gaze from where he was setting up jetpacks and rescue harnesses by the still-toppled Rescuemobile. _Hoo-boy_ , Ignis thought at the goofy grin that spread across the junior firefighter's distracted face.

"My lieutenants. Meis and Gueira," Lio stated, finally sort-of answering Ignis' question. "I need them. They're in the same section as the Burnish from the settlement."

Ignis nodded and called his blue-haired idiot over.

"Galo, you remember Meis and Gueira from when we captured the Mad Burnish leaders?"

"Of course!"

"We need them extracted and brought here _top priority_. Grab a hover pack and check with Heris for general coordinates."

"You got it, captain!" and with a happy smile to Lio that Lio returned with a small one of his own, Galo was off again.When he returned less than a couple minutes later and released the two other Mad Burnish leaders from their harnesses, Ignis grabbed Galo by the arm, nodded to Lio, and hauled his junior away to get a Burning Rescue team status report, giving the reunited trio some privacy.

****

"Boss!"

Lio didn't bother to hide his immense relief when his closest allies--and friends--ran over upon release. He threw his arms around their necks and pulled them into a fierce hug as soon as they reached him, pressing his face between theirs. All the intensity of Lio's recent worries and fears crashed into him, and he refused to let Meis and Gueira go until he was certain he could control his face and the moisture fighting to free itself from his eyes. They held him back just as tightly.

Lio took a deep, steadying breath, and leaned back just enough to look in their faces.

"You idiots!" he hiss-yelled. "What were you thinking separating us like that?! I would never leave you guys!"

Gueira grinned shamelessly and ruffled Lio's hair. "We know that."

Meis raised a brow, unapologetic. "That's why we did it."

Lio glared harder and his lieutenants pretended they didn't see the tremor that ran through his lips before he spoke.

"Are you guys okay?" Lio released his hold but stood close, crossing his arms and speaking more quietly.

"Felt better, but seem to be all in one piece," Meis smiled.

"We knew it would be okay as soon as we heard you attack the ship the first time, knew nothing could stop you, Boss," Gueira gave a thumbs up. "Sounded like it took a few tries?"

Lio's mouth twisted. "The first time wasn't well planned out. I wasn't… quite myself. That other idiot _did_ stop me, but later we were more successful together." Lio quirked his head to indicate Galo, who was currently ranting to the Burning Rescue team about the state of the Burnish he had just seen and stressing the urgency of freeing them. And something about his burning soul, of course. Lio smiled slightly.

Meis and Gueira exchanged a look trying to imagine how the boisterous firefighter had managed to stop Lio when it _wasn't_ planned like their first encounter.

Meis studied Lio carefully. "We saw him save you. After that awful…" He grimaced and stopped talking, then, "Your fire was protecting him." Lio noticed he and Gueira exchange a look as if they wanted to say more, but shook their heads as if deciding against it."It's all gone, isn't it," Gueira stated rather than asked, opening his palm and staring when no fire appeared.

Lio felt very, very tired. He looked at his companions, wondering if the haunted look in their eyes was reflected in his own. He knew they felt the disturbing stillness inside, too."Turns out it wasn't ours to begin with." His tone was a steady murmur as he described what they had learned about the Promare. They nodded in resignation at the explanation of what they had just felt through experience.

"Well. At least they seemed really happy," Gueira gave a brave smile as he referenced the emotion all the Burnish had felt through their empathetic bond as the Promare finally, finally burned free. "We sent them off right!"

Meis gave a contemplative nod, hand to his heart. "It's… peaceful, finally."

Lio looked down for a moment. He knew these guys felt the loss and the cold and the unfamiliar vulnerability, but they were still putting a positive spin on it. He knew they were doing it for him. He really didn't deserve these two.

But this wasn't about him.

"We're not done yet." Lio met their eyes with resolve and saw it instantly reflected in Meis and Gueira's faces. He glanced at the Burning Rescue team nearby. "And we're not alone."

"Working with the uniforms, eh?" Gueira sent them an unimpressed look, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"You want to free thousands of our people all by yourself?" Meis nudged his shoulder.

Gueira pursed his lips and then, pointing at Lio's attire, yelled to the group gathered a little distance away, "Oi! Where do we get one of these ugly-ass coats?!"

****

Once things were in motion, they happened blessedly quickly and took on a rhythm. Lio knew that was a testament to the Burning Rescue team's competency and good will. Well, there was a reason he had originally chosen them as the unit that would capture his team so they could execute their prison break.

Before dispersing to their active tasks, Meis and Gueira paused in their playful ribbing of each other's new outerwear to march over to Galo, as if to confront him. Lio pretended not to overhear them instead thanking their former opponent for saving "the boss" when Kray had nearly killed him in the engine. And he had no idea what they meant when they told Galo not to get any "fresh ideas" before giving him a friendly punch on the shoulder. His guys were weird.

Lio also tried to ignore the way the little female member of the team was gleefully eyeing all three Mad Burnish, her fingers twitching.

"Why is the scary little girl grinning at us like that," Meis whispered.Galo grinned. "Lucia likes making things! I think you've inspired her." As if that explained everything. Meis and Gueira just looked more unsettled.

Lio brought up the rear as the Mad Burnish joined Heris, Remi, and Ignis in descending back into the ships innards. He took one last deep breath of fresh air with a look at the horizon, and then descended the hatch. He had barely made it to the bottom of the ladder when sudden pain bloomed along his left shoulder blade. Right hand reaching over to hold the weight of his arm for a moment, Lio realized what was happening and tried to remember what had caused this particular resurfacing injury. Ah. When the Burnish settlement had been attacked, a block of concrete had fallen against his back before he'd had a chance to create a protective flame barrier. He'd barely felt it at the time, the pain passing swiftly as inner fire dulled and set to mending. It's return settled as a persistent ache that spoke of a bad bruise, but likely nothing worse. Lio dropped his hand and hurried his steps to catch up with the group. The fact that his Promare healing was that backlogged wasn't great, but at least he now had a basic time window of reference. Lio fingered the sturdy cloth of the Burning Rescue jacket, grateful that it would help him avoid awkward conversations. And he was probably imagining it, but Galo seemed to have left some of his warmth in its layers.

All warmth fled when their pathway turned and led them along the border of the massive central engine chamber. The rows of prisons, the shattered diamond at its center, the hushed echoes. Lio felt like he'd been plunged into ice water as his heart leapt into his throat. He barely registered the whimpers and murmurs that echoed his people's discomfort throughout the hollow space before a feeling-memory blindsided him.

_Pain, pain, endless waves of agony flooded through him until it was all one ocean bursting out of him, tearing apart--_

"Don't worry, you'll all be free soon!" Galo's voice jarred Lio free from the flashback and he was able to breath again. The matoi-loving firefighter was descending into the area on a jetpack. "Mad Burnish and Burning Rescue are here for prison break 2.0! Keep your souls burning for your bright future!" He spotted Lio and waved gleefully before heading for the first broken pod. Somehow, a relieved smile had found its way onto Lio's face, and he wondered what kind of magic Galo possessed to summon it so easily regardless of the circumstances.

"Heris, is there a way to address everyone?" Lio asked the scientist. He had very mixed feelings about her, but knew there wasn't time for anything but cooperation for now.

She nodded and with a few taps to her datapad, handed it to Lio who spoke into it as they continued to hurry forward.

"Burnish." Lio's familiar voice projected across the vast space and the captives quieted. "I know your suffering, but also your strength. Have courage. We're going to release everyone as fast as possible." Lio continued to describe the mechanical process of going section by section, promising rest and medical treatment, and explaining Galo's role in manually releasing those with broken pods. "Burning Rescue fought on our behalf, and they're here to help us. Let them. I'll see you soon." Lio concluded and handed the pad back to Heris as they entered an enormous white room packed with mechanical apparatus and conveyor belts, lined with tunnel openings the size of the pods.

Heris activated the machinery and less than a minute later, the first pods were being offloaded. Within five minutes, additional rescue workers and medical teams arrived and set up triage and processing stations in the space with Remi's guidance. Remi had set up an open video comms channel in the room so the whole rescue team could see this focal point of their operation at all times.

Lio tuned out everything else as he looked in the faces of each of the rapidly disembarking people from the settlement he'd most recently stayed at. Coordinating with Meis, Guiera, and the rescue workers to make sure the newly released were physically supported, and humanizing the mechanical process through touch, eye contact, and voice, handing the tired, scared, sore people to the rescue workers with reassurances and explanations of what to expect next. As other members of his Mad Burnish gang were freed, he made sure they were checked out. Then all of them chose to return and man the offloading bays and help the next people disembarking. In half an hour, the operation was in full swing and the first section of 1,000 had been freed. Aina had a whole fleet of hover crafts picking up Burnish and taking them topside where temporary tents had been set up while they looked for potential shelter options.

But it wasn't all sighs of relief.Within the first minutes, the extent of the human abuse was vividly evidenced for all to see.While all were sore and exhausted, there were a fair amount of Burnish with injuries that had been sustained and poorly cared for prior to being strapped into the pods. Some were no longer conscious.Aina's gasp was audible on the open comms when the pod with the first child, a small girl, catatonic and limp, whirred into the room. She only offered a response when Lio went to her, carefully placed a hand on her head, and stroked down along her cheek, earning her eye contact."Mari. It's okay now."

Without removing physical or visual contact, he reached with his other hand to manually pull the release, supporting her body as it dropped free. Shaking arms snaked around his neck and he simply held her while pods continued flashing into the room and being emptied.As he walked her over to a medical station, murmuring quietly into her ear, he made eye contact with as many of the rescue workers as possible, to make sure they _saw_. Both for recognition of the despicable situation, and to silently demand that they follow his example in caring for the children.

But it was the first empty pod that made Lio go still. A small pile of drifting ash remained on the bottom, particles fluttering through the air. The silence he'd been trying to ignore inside him seemed to grow until it was all he could hear. He felt Gueira and Meis each put a hand on his shoulder as they came up behind him.

"Lio?" Galo quietly questioned, obviously keeping an eye on things in the loading room as he continued with his rescue efforts in the main part of the ship.

Lio took a deep breath. Instead of answering him, Lio spoke the final rites of the Burnish that Galo had heard him offer in the cave a week ago. When he finished and turned, he realized Ignis and Remi were standing solemnly nearby in a respectful stance. Taking a moment despite the ongoing near-chaos around them demanding their attention. He held their eye contact for a minute, reading, needing the reminder that there were those who valued human life without exception. Those who protected and rescued. Needing to quell the urge to push away those whose help they still needed, to not grab the Burnish and run.

"Is there any way to know… who…" Remi started, but Lio shook his head.

"We'll know when we know who is missing." Lio kept his tone flat.

Heris looked empty as she spoke brokenly, "I'll… set these ones aside so… later we can collect…"

Lio walked away before she could finish and stepped up to the next pod that docked, returning to the task at hand, offering help to those who could still receive it. He counted though. In the first thousand person section, there were 32 previously occupied pods that arrived empty.

The cold inside was getting harder to ignore, but at least it drew his attention away from the ache in his shoulder. Lio knew that no matter what happened, he couldn't let his own discomfort show. All of the Burnish were suffering, some shivering some burning with sudden fever, as their bodies struggled to remember how to regulate temperature themselves, overcompensating in both directions. Lio suppressed his own shivers--compared to an Absolute Zero Bullet, this was practically warm--and made an effort to appear easily upright and confidently relaxed yet focused.

 _We'll be okay without our fire._ He willed the message with his words and posture.

While Lio was not in a charitable mood at the moment, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't grateful for the enveloping presence of the Burning Rescue 3 members throughout this ordeal.

Ignis managed to simultaneously keep on top of his team's operations and act as point of contact for the national and international agencies who were trying to address issues from the volcanic and Promare activity worldwide. Lio felt his guard around Ignis slowly go down as the rescue leader regularly consulted with him about decisions that would affect the Burnish. He and Aina reported that they had found a couple of recently completed residential highrises that they could use for immediate shelter, and asked Lio what the Burnish would want for comfort besides the usual living supplies. Lio asked that they provide ways for the Burnish to adjust the room temperatures, either through the built-in HVAC systems or portable units. They understood, acting on the request immediately, and didn't comment when Lio offered them his first "thank you".

One of the best parts of working with Burning Rescue, Lio discovered, was the banter that was constantly shooting back and forth between its members, somehow keeping energy and hope high despite the circumstances, which soothed those they rescued as well. It seemed to help the team coordinate, too. Lio let it wash over him and gave his first slight smile since they started the unloading process when Meis and Gueira began to occasionally join in.

Lio _listened_ for Galo's voice, though. He was regularly giving inspiring, passionate commentary, and announcing each time another Burnish had been manually rescued. For some reason, it both eased the tight feeling in his chest and granted a spark of much needed energy to push against the severe fatigue that clawed at the edge of Lio's consciousness.

Two hours in, they had managed to release and provide immediate care for a quarter of the trapped Burnish, and many were already being situated in their temporary dwellings.

"Lio," Ignis called him away from the check-in he was doing one-by-one with his Mad Burnish members, sending a couple who were worse for the wear to rest. "One of our lines has been hacked by people from several different countries, as far as I can tell, who are identifying themselves as Burnish leaders. They refuse to speak to anyone other than Lio Fotia." Ignis raised a brow.

"Wow!" Galo's face appeared on comms. "Do you know everybody??"

Lio could feel that traitorous Galo-induced smile appear on his face and transform into a smirk as he quipped, "We're more coordinated than you think." But would say no more until he had the line patched through to a private channel on his own comms device. With a nod to Meis and Gueira, who were holding up admirably well because of course they were, Lio walked out of the room into a quiet hallway. He waited to turn the corner completely out of sight and auditory range before speaking to those on the call.

He didn't realize it would be such a relief to hear that the small settlements of Burnish who had remained free around the world were by and large okay. They had even found a way to contact him despite their usual system being unavailable.It took him the better part of half an hour to explain everything he knew, and the responses were shocked and varied. It was hard to tell what part of the news was the most upsetting, but there were some sentiments of cautious relief, tinged with a kind of grief Lio understood deep in his soul. They agreed on a communication protocol for the present, to keep updated. Then Lio paused.

"It is going to be very different now, but not everything will change at once. The Burnish condition is gone, but... the lives we've lived have been different from anyone else. Our experiences are our identity. That _Burnish_ is still us. Many of us are here in Promepolis for the time being. If any Burnish want aid or protection… we'll find a way to take them in here."

Lio wasn't able to decipher any meaning from the outpouring of voices on the line, as a violent reminder of his incomplete healing from the past couple days chose that moment to tear through him.

He gasped when a shock of intense cold flew up his right side, then couldn't breathe at all as the next blow brought him to the ground. It was like someone had punched an icy fist right through his heart. He lost vision completely as it froze his lungs and dug unrelenting, frigid claws across nearly his whole body.

The experience of being shot with an Absolute Zero Bullet was unforgettable, so he recognized the source for this backlash instantly.

But it was _worse_. Worse than the first time, because now there was nothing fighting against it, nothing resisting the icy burn with a familiar internal warmth, nothing protecting his living body from the deadly cold. The residual power of the Promare that had kept consequences contained while this healing took place was gone, and all that was left were cells crying in pain as they had to take on a burden they were ill-equipped for.

When he was finally able to pull air into his lungs, it took everything in him not to immediately release it as a scream.

The ache settled deep into his core, his bones. He could feel his heart racing in protest as it tried to battle the urge to slow down with the cold.

Lio didn't know how long he lay there on his back as one tsunami of shivers after another worked their way down his body. He knew exactly how long it took to push himself up on shaking arms. Scooting over to the wall, it took an eternity to pull himself up with the handrail, uncooperative legs wanting to lock up and collapse everytime the blizzard tore through his body.

But he stood.

And instinctively closed his eyes to reach for the strength that had never failed him before. That would make the cold stop.

But it wasn't there.

His eyes slowly opened and he stood utterly still, frozen in more ways than one.

Except he must not be actually frozen, because it was water, salty but definitely not solid, that trickled its way down his cheeks. A drop fell and hit his hand. A hand with no fire. A cold hand.

But he could still hear their voices. Wait, no, the flames had never had this kind of voice, the kind that made sound. Lio's eyes followed the sound automatically and saw a comms device lying on the floor, persistent chattering still flowing from it, although it took another moment before he could understand what they said.

"--don't know, try again, it just went quite, keep trying, no, don't loose the line it took us two hours to get this one--"

The voices were tied to faces in his mind. The faces of people. His people. And Lio took a sudden deep breath that immediately turned into a cough and ached so badly, but he kept a fierce grip on his focus.Made his body move.

Picked up the device.

Cleared his throat.

"Sorry about that." Breathe. "I-- have to go." Breathe. "Talk to your communities. Stick to the comms protocol we discussed." Breathe. "I'll check in soon."

Closed the line.

Wiped his face.

By the time he walked out of the hallway and back into the loading room, Lio thought he was doing a pretty good job of seeming normal. If he clenched his whole body when a piercing wave of cold flowed through him, he managed not to outright shiver. While giving Gueira and Meis a quick update on the Burnish worldwide, he ignored the probing looks they gave him. Acting normal was the best reassurance, he figured.

But hour after hour, it was hard to keep up outward appearances. The cold didn't stop. Everytime he thought he had gotten used to the feeling, it seemed to settle deeper and spread relentlessly outward from his chest. Just like the bullet had originally, only this time slower. He clenched his teeth to stop them from chattering. Grabbed some heat packs from the med supply when no one was looking and slotted them into the inner pockets of the jacket he wore, but he barely felt their radiating warmth. It didn't really matter, though. There was no way he was leaving his people again, wouldn't stop until every last one was free and safe. So he just steeled his resolve further and continued on.

When a coffee supply and packaged snacks were brought for the rescue workers, Ignis and Lio both agreed their team members should take breaks in shifts. Lio almost felt betrayed, though, when Ignis nodded to Meis and Gueira, who immediately hauled their boss away for some hot coffee and a few minutes of rest.

It was while he was sipping some of the scalding fluid, willing it's heat further into his chest, reluctantly grateful, that Lio felt a splintering pain radiate throughout his upper body. Recalling how Vulcan's fist had smashed into his ribs minutes after he'd shot him, Lio didn't have to question where this damage came from as Promare healing unwound further from his body. Recently fused but still fragile and tender cracks wound their way through the bones of his ribcage, and Lio choked on the coffee he was drinking.

The resulting coughing did not help the situation, shooting sharp spikes through his torso with every violent contraction of lungs. When he caught his breath at last and looked up into the worried faces of his two Mad Burnish leaders, feeling their hands patting his back and supporting his shoulders, he smiled weakly."Went down the wrong tube."

"Boss, maybe you should rest a little longer."

"I'm fine. We're almost done."

They were, in fact, about two-thirds of the way through clearing the engine pods. But the next hour bordered on being unbearable for Lio. More partially healed bone fractures appeared next in the arm Vulcan had punched. It began to take a lot of his attention to breathe normally while each inhale-exhale ached fiercely, and to not show any blatant favoritism to his right arm. And bracing himself for the swells of cold that seemed to be coming more frequently now."Lio, how's it going?" Galo's voice broke through Lio's pattern of brace, breathe; brace, reach; brace, clench for shiver, as he continued helping Burnish from their prisons.Lio blinked at the comms image of Galo's face directed at his unit alone. "Fine?"

"I don't think I've heard your voice for a whole hour! Maybe you should take a break?"Lio pressed his lips together actually considering, before shaking his head. "We're almost done, and how many of the Burnish have been waiting for hours to be freed? I'm just a little tired, same as everyone." And if he stopped now, he might not be able to start again.

"How is it going on your end?" Lio changed the subject.

Galo's grin was still bright even though Lio could see the fatigue there as well.

"Good! Only got 30 left in these broken pods, should be done within the next couple hours!"

Lio's smile was genuine and grateful. "Thank you for helping them."

He took a moment to look around and realized that everything had been going smoothly here for quite awhile. They were down to the last two thousand, and would likely be done within the hour.

"Actually. We're almost done here. I'll come help you. It'll go twice as fast with both of us."

Galo gave an enthusiastic reply with a shameless Galo de Lion teamwork reference and said he'd grab another jetpack for him. Lio couldn't keep the amusement from his voice as he confirmed and cut the call.

With a quick update to the team, Lio walked swiftly out of the room onto a platform walkway that ran behind the pod banks in the direction of Galo and the last broken units.

This scene change seemed prudent because it had occurred to Lio what was likely coming next in the whole sequential dismantling of his fire-healing systems thing. And that would probably be harder to hide in a room full of people and very bright lights.

Although he preferred that location to being back in this horrible haunted cavern. He looked at the now mostly empty rows around the engine hall as he walked. His pace seemed to slow until it felt like he was walking through molasses. This place still felt saturated with suffering to him. Each scream of pain from the people who had filled this space felt like it was being carved into his veins again, competing with the ice that now seemed to flow endlessly from his chest. Anxiety pressed down on him. The Burnish may not have the Promare any longer, but they still needed protecting in this world, he wasn't naïve enough to believe otherwise. And he knew he couldn't really rely on that protection coming from anyone but himself. Not long-term.

Lio passed the center of the ship, and his eyes locked on the sinister broken diamond. Even the sunlight flowing in from the roof couldn't seem to push away the dark shadows that crept into his vision as he jerked to a stop, staring. Dizzy, Lio clutched the railing. His throat squeezed closed. And then he wasn't seeing anything at all as--

\-- _the pain of thousands channeled through him and it hurt it hurt IT HURT._ A stab of ice sliced through and broke him from his momentary suffocation. _It's just in your mind. That's not happening right now._

But the ice inside was real and he couldn't move as his body seized up, shuddering without stopping. And then the pain was replaced by fear, and panic flooded his consciousness, because _ice meant danger, they were being hunted, captured, he needed to run, fight, escape from the entombing ice_.

A faint voice echoed from far to his left, a sound that sent a gentle, soothing thaw at the edges of his mind. It brought up an image of a face like the sun that slowly unwound his panic until he was able to see again.

Galo. Though far away and out of sight, Lio could hear him talking kindly and encouragingly to someone he was saving, the sound echoing throughout this vast space. Saving Lio, too.

Lio slumped over, resting his head on the arms he'd propped up on the railing. Bringing himself back to the moment. Galo's voice reassuring him that it would be alright. Even at this distance, he could feel that man's shine.

It made Lio feel vulnerable, the way Galo could so easily make him _believe_. In every encounter since they'd met, Galo had turned the moments of dark doubt and despair inside of Lio to a hope he realized he had forgotten. How?

It was unnervingly easy for Lio to summon Galo's image to mind. Intensely honest blue eyes he couldn't look away from, a grin that momentarily made Lio feel warm despite the ice currently coursing through his veins. Somehow, it was easier to breathe, something straining inside of him eased.

Lio lifted his head.If he wasn't careful, that comfort could lull him into a peace that wasn't real, a rest he knew he couldn't afford. He rubbed a hand across his face and then leaned into his palm, thinking. What would it take for his people to be truly safe?Safe.He felt a prickle along the edge of his eyes at the first thing that came to mind. He imagined what it would be like for Galo's arms to surround him, to rest against his chest. For a moment he just let himself imagine that, a sense of safety settling across his shoulders. Imagined reaching higher until he was pressing his cheek to Galo's.

With a gasp, Lio opened his eyes, heart beating an irregular staccato as he realized what he'd been thinking.

He pushed away from the railing and willed his feet forward. He shook his head as his heartbeat evened out but retained the rapid tempo as he realized he was about to see the one he'd just been thinking of.

He had just reached the final section of the ship when Galo descended from a hole in the roof, expertly steering his jet pack towards a pod that hung slightly crooked and clearly jammed. The incoming rescuer halted as soon as he saw Lio standing on the walkway nearby, and Lio tangibly felt the sunshine hit him with Galo's welcoming smile."Lio!" With a joyfilled exclamation, Galo swooped down and landed by Lio whose answering smile was automatic.Galo rested a hand on his shoulder and just looked at him for a minute, until Lio raised an eyebrow. "Perfect timing!" the firefighter finally continued, beginning to explain the rescue operations for the final 27 Burnish.

Lio nodded, then made a suggestion.

If it took time to free them from the pods and time to fly them up and out, it would be easier for one of them to release them, and the other to fly them up top. Galo's enthusiasm for this tag team set up was unmistakable.

"But should it be Lio de Galon or Galo de Lion?" he puzzled.

It was scary that Lio realized what Galo meant.

"I'll free them. They know me. You take them up."

Galo helped him into the spare hover pack, and though Lio couldn't help gripping Galo's steadying arm more tightly as the bigger man secured it around his aching chest, he succeeded in keeping his face emotionless. Or so he thought, until Galo asked him if he was alright.

"Fine." Lio said without meeting his eyes. Then he paused. "I used to be able to do this kind of thing without a machine." He zipped up the high collar of his jacket and launched himself to a damaged pod. Galo paused, then followed a moment later.

It was no surprise that they easily fell into a natural rhythm. But as Galo departed with the third Burnish freed, Lio felt a throb in his jaw that a moment later exploded into full on blinding pain as that bone resumed its fractures, only partially knit back together over the past few days. And once it started, Lio could count the number of percussive explosions shattering through bones and tissues, paralleling the number of times the sadistic Freeze Force general had smashed his metallic fist into the Mad Burnish leader's face before his friends had stepped in to stop him.

By the time it stopped, Lio was leaning heavily against the wall of the empty pod he was still in. He raised a shaking hand to the right side of his face, which had sustained the most damage. He was pretty sure all the bones in the lower half of his face were cracked. Jaw, cheekbone, and nose all in place but electric with pain as he gently ran his fingertips over them. He could feel the swelling and feverish heat of bruising from his eye socket down through his collar bone. His breath came in hissing gasps through his teeth as he weathered the initial pain.

A couple minutes must have passed, because he could hear Galo returning. Lio tugged his tall collar back up and combed his hair forward to give his right eye as much shadow coverage as possible. Then he propelled himself from the pod before Galo reached him.

"Sorry, had to take a call." Lio called over his shoulder to excuse his slowness, struggling a bit to make the words come clearly as the pain and swelling in his face made it difficult to work his mouth as usual.

"Oh. Sure." Galo accepted the explanation easily and didn't seem to think twice about the fact that he only saw the left side of Lio's face as they worked the next Burnish free together. This captive was unconscious, so Galo hurried topside without another word and Lio flew to the next pod.

He almost fell when he landed as his body strongly protested its current state. Pain and cold were now so all-present that it was hard to know what exactly to tune out in order to keep pushing forward. To coordinate limbs. Speckles of black dotted his vision.Still. He managed. Spoke quietly to those he freed, pulled the manual levers for each limb shackle, supported their weight as best he could until he could hand them off to Galo. It took a little longer for Galo to make a full roundtrip than for Lio to free a captive, so he found a few moments to rest through the physical repercussions with each Burnish release.This place once more flooded his mind with screams and they never stopped now, they just ebbed and flowed with his labored breathing as his movements became automatic.

And he made it. The final Burnish freed. As Galo flew away with the last one, calling back a parting promise to see him up top, Lio fell to his knees, hand clutching at the entrance edge of the pod's floor. He stared into the darkness below. Tried to figure out how it could be silent and filled with screams at the same time. He drifted.

"-io! Lio, is everything okay?"

Lio startled at Galo's voice coming from his pocket and sluggishly pulled his comms device out.

"Yeah." Was all he managed to respond.Galo was saying something, but it was just sounds without meaning, so he didn't know what to say back. He heard Meis and Gueira's voices, too, but they didn't make sense, either. The device slipped from his fingers and fell into the shadows below.

He needed to get up but now the blackness from the chasm below him was creeping up until it surrounded everything he could see. He clutched the edge of the wall, pulling until his legs were under him. The blackness chased him, closed in on his vision as he stood.

He heard that voice again, the important one, and looked up. Let go of the wall to reach out his hand. But the darkness closed the door on his vision; the last thing he saw was a look of desperate panic in eyes as blue as the sky before he fell and knew no more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rambles you can skip:
> 
> This whole thing has been written (about 60k words). I've outlined and done some key scene drafting for two sequels. I'll post as frequently as I can manage to edit. I am DEFINITELY looking for some beta reading support, because I have little confidence that things make sense when I write a draft.
> 
> I've tried to keep my distance from fandom HC discussions because I wanted total mental freedom to look at things with as unfiltered a perspective as possible. It's not a problem most people have, but I tend to get creatively stuck if I take in too many of other peoples' ideas. Makes me sad, though, because I'd like to just geek out about things, too.
> 
> That said, fanfiction is a derivative work, and we're all going to come up with many of the same themes and ideas, and that's totally okay and fun to see the plays on variation. I probably am doing a lot of things in my story that have already been done by others, but as long as it's still fun to read, that's all good. I did NOT try to take anything from anyone else's work, though, so if you see parallels, please know it's just a coincidence inherent in creating in the same space. I'll credit anything I intentionally reference.
> 
> Eh, I am on Twitter (and currently only Twitter) @akadoreengreene, but I mostly just retweet the Promare art that is inspiring me as I write and post occasional tweets about writing updates. Omg, there is so much good Promare fanart, I just feel so blessed to see it and intensely admire the artists, so it's really hard to show restraint when retweeting. I've tried to be slightly more friendly recently about talking to people, but mostly I'm like a hedgehog curled into my spiky ball. 
> 
> Th-thanks for reading this chapter! ^^;;;


	2. Fractures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We see how Galo is doing, and he's maybe not alright, either. 
> 
> These poor sweet potatoes...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just got back from Redux and had to do something to celebrate.
> 
> Major thanks to Jobler for giving this a beta read, you certainly have an eye for detail! This got posted because of your help. <3
> 
> Thank you to XiaoPingguo69 for encouragement and for providing the scripted lines from the end of the end of the movie so the opening scene last chapter could be accurate. <3
> 
> On to the story. We're just getting started. :)

Galo flew free from the Parnassus for what he hoped would be the last time.

He released the final captive Burnish from the support harness and handed her gently with a smile and a supportive arm to the waiting medical staff. Galo took a deep breath as he pulled off his jet pack. Contentment and relief momentarily held back the weariness that was pressing insistently against his back. The sun was low in the sky, but it still seeped a warm red glow through his eyelids as he closed them for a moment.

The world was safe. The Burnish were safe. Recovering. That was enough for one day. All he wanted now was to sleep. He wasn't even going to bother going back to his apartment, he'd just crash at the closer Burning Rescue station and be able to sleep-in longer without needing to commute in the morning. Probably wouldn't even make it to his bunk, was just going to crash on the couch….

Once more, his imagination took over and fixated on one thing. He had only seen hints so far, of Lio's edges becoming less rigid in quiet moments or somehow melding with his own to become immeasurably strong, but what would Lio be like now that the threats and struggles were done? This last hour, he had seemed even more exhausted than Galo felt.

Galo's heart sped up in a completely different way from battle or rescue mode as his mind painted a picture. Lio, sleepy and soft, finally able to relax. Maybe he could actually figure out why everything with Lio felt so... different from anything else. It seemed natural in this daydream to pull the slender figure down with him as he collapsed on the sofa. A precious treasure to hold while falling asleep, a welcome weight like a blanket draped on top of him. Galo opened his eyes. That exact scenario might be unlikely, but after everything that had happened, he didn't want to be apart from Lio right now. Wanted to make _sure_ he was taken care of.

Speaking of which, where was that guy? Galo took another look around in case he had missed his arrival (unlikely), but didn't spy a pale green-blonde head anywhere. Had Lio gone back to the loading room? But, everyone else was already up here, even the last of the medical rescue teams, completing a final weary debrief before heading for a much deserved rest.

Galo pulled out his comms device. "Lio?"

No response, but Meis and Gueira looked over at Galo's query from where they had been leaning against one another, tired but listening intently to the med team leaders and Aina on the current details of the settled Burnish.

"Lio!" Galo walked back over to the edge of the giant hole he'd ascended from and peered down.

"Lio, is everything okay?"

Meis and Gueira began to move towards him and hastened their pace when a weak and breathy voice replied.

"Yeah." But nothing else.

"Lio, what's wrong?" Galo asked. He quickly slipped back into the jet pack he'd set aside as the two Mad Burnish lieutenants reached him and began making demands.

"Where did you leave him??"

"Go get the boss!"

And Galo jumped, cranking the jetpack as fast as it was supposed to go in confined spaces like this. As he approached the far end, a wave of unease filled him. He could make out that Lio was standing in the last pod they'd emptied, but instead of his usual elegant and upright posture, he was slumped over, gripping the wall.

"Lio!" He called, cranking the jets up a notch.

Lio lifted his face and a shot of real fear lanced through Galo. Lio looked so pale, and he was injured, and in _pain_ \--

Galo threw all caution to the wind as Lio let go of the wall, reached his hand out to the airborne firefighter, and dropped over the edge.

He plummeted.

And Galo's heart followed.

Instinct completely took over as Galo punched the controls into overdrive to intercept Lio's trajectory. He barely had time to pull up in the end, slamming awkwardly but not fatally into the ground. Lio's hover pack broke free and crashed off to the side. But Galo's arms were around Lio so nothing else mattered.

A Lio he almost didn't recognize.

The partner he had thought was fine just minutes before now hung limp, head falling back over Galo's supporting arm, exposing the worst bruising the firefighter had ever seen. Given his profession, that was saying something. A solid mass of black and purple stretched across half the delicate face, clearly indicating extensive fractures. The dark marks contrasted sharply with Lio's unnaturally white pallor, and continued down his neck, disappearing into the coat. Galo quickly pulled off a glove to feel for Lio's pulse at his throat. He found an unsteady one, but far more concerning was the cold temperature--a deadly temperature measured from a normal core of warmth like the neck.

After a moment of heart-rending shock, Galo didn't waste another. His hover pack was at maximum and he held Lio's body tightly flush against his own with the hope that some transference of heat might help in the few moments it took to get back to the surface.

The glances that were cast Galo's way at the sound of his returning jet pack turned into full attention as they took in the anguish on his face and the very unconscious Lio in his arms.

As Galo landed, the whole team rushed to his location, Ignis and Remi pulling along the two senior doctors they had been saying farewell to. Galo immediately dropped to his knees, carefully cradling Lio's body and lowering it to the ground.

"I don't-- I don't know what happened, he was fine, and now he's-- he's so cold and--" A choking feeling cut off his words as he babbled. Nevertheless, his trained hands had instinctively moved to action; one began gently prodding along the prominent bruising covering half of Lio's face, the other moved to the jacket's zipper to create better access to the injuries that trailed below the collar.

All movement from the group ground to a halt when the coat was finally thrown open.

The entire right side of Lio's exposed torso was darkened. The rescue team knew what they were looking at, could see the telltale marks where knuckles had struck flesh hard enough to break bone.

The marks on his left side seemed even more ominous. A deep blue patch with uneven edges marred the skin close to the heart, the unnatural azure color paling and spreading out across all the skin they could see, marked with streaks of white like cracks in ice.

Ignis lowered his sunglasses, as if that would change what he was seeing.

"Yesterday's wounds…" His voice was gruff and disbelieving, repeating Lio's earlier warning about the plight of the former Burnish.

A kind of grim horror settled on the group as they realized what had happened. They had seen examples of this all day, incomplete healing, but this was worse than any so far. The senior medical staff were already moving quickly to make an initial assessment, feeling with expert hands to gauge the extent of the damage.

Gueira and Meis looked as sick as Galo felt, but there was a rage there as well.

"It was that fucking Freeze Force bastard!" Gueira roared.

Meis glowered. "Of course he singled Lio out when he took down our settlement. As soon as he'd immobilized Boss, Vulcan began beating him in front of all of us."

"That absolute filth." Aina's seething comment summed up everyone's sentiments.

"After he shot him!" Gueira continued to rage.

"Shot him?!" several voices echoed at once.

"Yeah! With some absolute zero freezing bullet thing--he _gloated_ about it."

Heris gasped and all eyes turned to her.

"Absolute Zero was-- they were developing it as fire fighting tech. A single unit could be deployed to dynamically take out the fire from a whole building. It consumed and transformed heat into ice." Her eyes traced the cracks laced across Lio's body in horror. "It was never meant to be used on _humans_."

Meis glared. "I'm getting really tired of hearing that kind of thing."

The chief doctor stood, tone urgent, "These have been here for hours. He needs a hospital _now_ \--" Aina, Remi and Varys set off racing for the nearest ambulance hover craft. "I'm surprised he's-- no one can survive with this body temperature."

Galo sat back hard from where he had been hovering over Lio, suddenly unsteady.

"The fact that he's not shivering is not a good sign. But it's hard to know if there is internal bleeding that would worsen if we widely raise the temperature. We need a full diagnostic and med station."

Varys returned immediately with a stretcher. The large man was able to scoop up Lio's whole body with just his hands, and lift the stretcher solo. Galo bolted to his feet to follow as Varys hurried to where Aina had the hover craft booted up and Remi completed the onboard med station prep. In under a minute Lio had been loaded and secured, and no one argued when Meis, Gueira, and Galo joined the doctors in the emergency craft. With a quick comment that they'd follow, Ignis sent them off.

****

The only thing worse than waiting was waiting in a hospital, Galo decided. Especially when you had no idea about the fate of someone important to you.

Galo dug his hands into his hair, head lowered, one leg jiggling a mile a minute as he sat in the cursed _waiting_ room. He didn't even bother trying to do the calm breathing exercise Varys had previously taught him to help with impulse control.

He couldn't turn off the image of Lio's graceful form violated with wounds; couldn't stop feeling the slight, cold weight he'd carried in his arms; and most of all, couldn't clear the sight of Lio's eyes, muted in suffering, asking for help, moments before he toppled to what would have been his death.

Galo brought his palms down over his eyes and pressed, shoulders bunched tight as he held in a scream.

Galo had _rescued_ Lio that morning, after one of the most terrifying moments of his life. Lio should have been okay. That's what happens when you rescue someone. And yet…

Lio wasn't okay. He had been in pain for _hours_.

While Galo understood the logistics of what was happening, he still didn't understand _what_ had happened. Lio had been injured _for hours_? And Galo hadn't even noticed? No one had?? Lio must have been in agony, why would he hide it?? Why hadn't Galo seen it???

Galo was so deep in the turmoil of his thoughts that he didn't even notice when the rest of BR3 arrived. He was torn from his mental spiral when a heavy hand fell on his shoulder. He looked up at Ignis, whose grim expression softened when he got a look at Galo's face. Turning without letting go of the younger man's shoulder, Ignis addressed Meis and Gueira.

"Any update?"

They paused in their fury-filled pacing. Lio's two closest friends shook their heads, arms crossed and lips pressed tightly together.

Aina took a shaky breath from where she sat beside Galo. "They're trying to figure out--"

As if summoned, a doctor in a traditional white coat walked over to the anxiety-filled group.

"You're here for Lio Fotia?" She asked, clipboard in hand. At Ignis' nod she continued. "Any next of kin or power of attorney?"

Galo jumped to his feet, tears in his eyes. "What?" Did that mean--

The doctor held up a placating hand, realizing what her words might have implied.

"We've got him reasonably steady for now, but we do need to know who to talk to about his care."

"We're Boss's family." Gueira scowled.

At the doctor's skeptical look, Ignis jumped in.

"Doctor. Your patient has been living as a Burnish, ah, refugee and isn't registered in any normal way through our legal systems. However, as the leader of the city rescue team who brought him in, I take responsibility for his situation. Everyone present can hear what you disclose."

The doctor sighed. "Yes, we've had a lot of Burnish today. We're having to go beyond the book for a lot of things right now." And the look on her face told them they had a sympathetic ally.

With no further ado, she gave them the run down.

Extensive partially healed fractures to the arm, ribs, and face on the right side of his body. While there was likely internal bruising, there didn't seem to be any ongoing bleeding. They had bandaged and splinted what they could, and were trying to bring down the swelling and bruising. The rest would just take time, although faster than usual with the previous Burnish healing.

Her audience's momentary sense of relief evaporated as her brow creased and she looked at her notes again as if the information they held would change.

"Can you tell me how he sustained the wound near the heart?"

As Heris explained, the doctor's face assumed the strictly professional mask medical workers adopt to hide their shock or dismay, but her eyes snapped and she paused before speaking next.

"I guess that explains why we've never seen anything like it. We're applying heat packs to raise the temperature, but they don't seem as effective as we would expect. We just don't know enough about how the Burnish physiology may respond differently, especially as it adjusts to a new norm, and combined with the _unusual_ nature of the source... In any case, we've managed to raise his overall temperature beyond immediate danger, and we'll need to keep a close eye on it. Hopefully it will follow the pattern of the other Burnish symptoms we've seen today and start to abate with proper care."

"Can we see him?" Galo blurted, barely containing the stress of listening to these long and not very reassuring explanations.

"We're keeping him under for now, and it's still a sensitive time." She eyed Galo's desperate expression. "We can allow for a few visitors, briefly, but first we need to make sure we understand any other potential complications."

At their puzzled looks, she continued. "From what we've seen of our Burnish patients, the… rollback with their former way of healing is sequential, yes?"

Heris' mouth made a small 'oh' as she understood. "You want to know if further injuries were sustained after these?"

"Yes. This is a delicate situation and we'd like to avoid any nasty surprises."

Everyone looked at each other, and Meis, faced already strained, paled further. "We don't know, we weren't there." It sounded like it pained him to say it.

All eyes trained on Galo who had spent the most time with the Mad Burnish leader in the past couple days.

Galo, wide-eyed, tried to remember. "He was a dragon? And then--"

"A dragon?" The doctor deadpanned.

"Yeah, like, all made of fire, he was trying to free the Burnish captives here in the city… I don't know if that kind of thing will do anything."

The doctor, slightly shocked as she recalled the dragon that had rampaged through their streets, nodded and made a note.

"And then we fought a bit to calm down." The doctor raised an eyebrow at this but remained silently writing. "And then we fought together in a giant mech, but we didn't get hurt, because, _robot_. And then we got really cold because the gov--because Kray had an ice machine. And then he grabbed Lio really tight, but Lio saved me anyway… then Kray took him away…"

Galo looked down, stricken by the memory. Gueira filled in the next blank.

"We were just _stuck there_ , while that bastard tied him up with that spiky wire. He liked hurting him, liked mocking all of us, laughing as he made us watch."

If the Burnish had still had access to their fire, everyone present was pretty sure the hospital would have been a burning crater from the rage on display.

"And then we were all hurting, and it got sucked into Lio and he was burning…" Meis all but whispered, remembered pain etched into his face.

Galo opened and closed his mouth twice before any sound came out. "He didn't survive. At first. But he came back. And then we were healing _everyone_." Galo's face brightened, then crumpled further. "I guess it didn't completely work."

The doctor lowered her pen. In a very calm voice she said, "That is… a lot. We'll need to be very careful to monitor any repercussions. One thing we've observed is that the more extensive the damage a Burnish has recently sustained, the less prior healing has been completed. Apparently, healing is a limited and time-bound resource, even for the Burnish."

Galo knew that already. Hadn't he seen Burnish die when their wounds overwhelmed their ability to restore?

It was a morose note to end on, but the doctor finally gave them permission to see Lio. She wouldn't budge on only four visitors for the day, though, so Aina, Heris, Lucia, Remi, and Varys said they'd head out, but requested any updates. Promised to check in the next day. Aina gave Galo a tight hug before she left, and then threw her arms around both Meis and Gueira as if she couldn't help but offer comfort in response to their pain. They seemed surprised but quickly returned the embrace.

The walk through various corridors and elevators was a blur to Galo, but all his senses sharpened when they finally arrived at the patient's door.

Galo couldn't quite process what he saw when he entered the room. It was like that first time when he had seen Lio hurt--a disjointed sense of wrongness.

Because Lio was larger than life, the most intense flame. His soul had always pushed insistently against Galo's when in his presence. Lio filled every space he entered, commanding it. So Galo almost couldn't comprehend when his eyes landed on a waifish figure swallowed by the size of a hospital bed, so pale he faded into the sheets.

One arm lay stiff in a cast, leaving the other slim appendage to receive numerous needles and tubes and monitor sensors. Lio wore no hospital gown, as bandages were wrapped around his chest, soothing compresses pressed to dark bruises on one side, and a double layer of heat packs piled on the other. A lightweight, medicated plaster dominated half his face. And though unconscious, that face was still tense as he shivered almost ceaselessly.

"I shouldn't have let Vulcan go," Ignis lamented angrily as the four approached Lio's trembling form. The others silently agreed.

Meis ran his fingers lightly up the cast and pulled one of the nearby chairs closer so he could sit and talk quietly by Lio's ear. Gueira pulled a second chair up and slotted his fingers through the ones peaking out from the stiff plaster wrappings, interjecting accusatory admonishments to Meis' insistent messages of encouragement.

Galo stood blankly staring, unable to bear sitting and unwilling to move away. He barely registered Ignis' brief touch and promise to return momentarily.

Air seemed to drag itself roughly through Galo's lungs with every breath, mocking his helplessness. His eyes tore away from Lio's pathetic form and observed Meis and Gueira, who, despite looking a potent combination of anger and grief, seemed controlled. Experienced. Like they were used to this sort of thing.

Ignis returned and proved once again that he was their greatest ally. He had managed a miracle, to get permission for the three of them to stay in Lio's room until he woke up. He'd even secured cots for the exhausted trio, hadn't even questioned that they would want to hold vigil.

He cleared his throat and crossed his arms, stance as immovable as when he faced down Vulcan.

"He'll need you here when he wakes up. He's clearly not making the best of decisions right now--" Meis snorted. "So don't let him do anything stupider before tomorrow, if you can manage that. And get some sleep or you'll be the next ones hooked up to IVs and monitors. Set a better example. Who knows, it might help."

At their nods and expressions of thanks, but no movement, the captain continued in his sternest tone.

"You two," he pointed at Meis and Gueira, who had an unhealthy pallor of their own, "In the cots. You're closest to needing medical intervention. Don't make yourselves hypocrites when you lecture your boss about appropriate self care. We'll let you know if anything changes with the Burnish situation. Galo, you can take first watch, but try to calm down enough to get some sleep, too."

"You do look awful," Meis quirked his one visible brow at Gueira.

"Funny, you look fine," Gueira riposted, "Except where you clearly walked into a door with your face." He pressed a finger at the dark circle under Meis' eye.

Shoving each other out of their chairs, they gave Lio's bandaged shoulder one final tender touch and continued to banter their way to where the cots had been set up towards the end of the room. It was a testament to their exhaustion that despite the stress of the last couple hours, they passed out as soon as they hit the sheets.

Ignis sighed. Galo looked at him, still feeling scared and lost. Ignis opened his arms, and that was all the prompting Galo needed. He threw his arms around his captain and held on. Ignis didn't say anything, just offered shelter.

When Galo finally pulled away, looking a bit calmer, Ignis simply said, "We'll get through this. Get some rest." With a final squeeze of the shoulder, he left.

Galo collapsed into one of the recently vacated bedside chairs. His eyes ran over the marred profile in front of him, tracing the soft contours until they disappeared under bandages, left to his bewildered thoughts.

It was impossible to ignore how strongly he felt about Lio, when seeing him hurt felt this terrible. A particularly violent shiver made Lio clench his jaw, body tensing and shoulders lifting slightly from the pillow. The unconscious face settled into a grimace of pain at the movement.

"Hey, hey…" Galo quietly murmured, and he needed to touch, to comfort, but there was so little of Lio currently available that could receive such gestures. He placed one palm against Lio's uninjured cheek, and brushed his bangs back with the other hand, marveling once more at how very soft the pale hair was as he let the strands fall forward. He buried his fingers along the scalp, massaging. Whether in response to Galo's minor ministrations or just because the fit had run its course, Lio settled back and some of the tightness left his face.

_Stay with me. So many things can still take you away. Even things that are already over._

This is what shocked Galo the most. His rescue hadn't really worked. And he hadn't even noticed. Lio had gone so far as to _hide_ it from him, despite everything they'd gone through together. His trust only went so far. Save the world: yes. Save himself… He didn't _want_ Galo's help.

Galo withdrew his hands as a deep sadness overcame him. This realization cast a different tint on everything they had been through.

He crossed his arms on the edge of the hospital bed and rested his chin on them wearily, eyes never leaving Lio's countenance.

When Galo really thought about it, Lio's reluctance shouldn't have surprised him. Lio had had to actually _die_ before he directly accepted Galo's help for himself, although he was always ready to offer his own. And was "accepted" even the right word for that?

He and Lio had synced so perfectly when fighting for their common goal, but in that case, Lio was the one helping Galo every step of the way. Before that…

From their first real conversation, back in the cave, he had felt _surprised_ by the level of trust Lio had shown him. The Mad Burnish leader had actually taken the time to explain the situation. Thinking about it now… Lio had been open about the truth of Burnish circumstances, but he had firmly stated that Galo's help was _not_ needed. Lio had been blunt that he thought Galo naïve and incapable of aiding them, and he was right. Galo had gone straight to Kray, exposed Lio's escape to him, and gotten himself locked up so he wasn't even _available_ to help.

Some crack inside of Galo was being pulled excruciatingly wider at the thought of Kray. Instinctively, he reach out his fingers and laid them on top of the cold, slight digits emerging from the bindings of Lio's broken arm. Even this minimal touch brought a moment of reassurance. It vanished as Galo recalled the level of absolute loathing Kray had leveled at him. Galo wasn't smart or savvy like his mentor, but he had thought he was doing what he could to support the gov. To reciprocate. In his relentless pursuit to become the best firefighter he could be, he had thought he was helping the person he most looked up to. Had tried to be worthy of the support he received.

But just like Lio, Kray had actually found Galo's efforts problematic. In the way. So much so that he had come to _hate_ the person he had originally taken under his wing.

Galo curled his fingers around Lio's, holding on, terrified. His eyes zeroed in once more on that pain-filled face. He didn't think he could bear it if things turned out the same way with Lio.

To be hated, held distant from something as breathtaking as this soul, the way it joined his and filled in the fractures. To be unable to protect this flame. Doomed to watch it flicker out. Ice gripped his heart once more at the vivid recollection of Lio's lifeless body, drifting to ash, grey without his spark…

_No!_

His heart thundered. He had to do better. Had to figure out what help Lio _actually_ needed, the way Lio had for him.

Because... Because Lio _did_ need help, and Galo didn't want him to have to hide it or go it alone. He had to figure out how he could really be there for him this time.

Galo turned his head so it lay on his arm and stared at where his fingers and Lio's were now intertwined. Cold, trembling fingertips against his larger warm ones. He began softly trying to rub some heat into the fingers he held, his eyes drifting closed…

****

Something tugged him briefly from the depths, a faint sense of movement. Then a light touch trailed from his temple down his cheek, and he sank once more.

The next thing he knew, he was fully jerked awake at a shrill cry of, "What are you doing?!"

Blinking rapidly in the morning light shifting through the windows, Galo's eyes landed on the source of the voice, a nurse in a hospital uniform. But she wasn't looking at him.

Lightening flashed through Galo and he bolted up at the sight of Lio, who had scooted himself to the edge of the bed and was pulling the last tubes from his arm, breath coming in panicked gasps. He had already ripped the plaster from his face and shed the med packs and heat packs. The cast and mangled bandages around his arm and torso and a pair of hospital slacks were the only things still on his body. His eyes were wide and dilated, but he wasn't making eye contact as he struggled with the medical attachments.

"Boss!" Gueira and Meis were both stumbling over from their cots. Meis grabbed Lio's hand and Gueira his shoulders. He slowed his frantic movements until the nurse grabbed his other hand, which still held one of the sensors he'd just removed. Lio jerked back at the unfamiliar touch, face scowling until it flinched momentarily from the responding pain in his still healing jaw.

Galo instinctively rested a gentle hand on Lio's head. "We're here to _help_."

Lio looked into his eyes and finally stilled, chest straining with puffs of breath, but eyes beginning to register the people surrounding him.

He looked confused for a minute, scanning the room, then addressed Meis and Gueira in an uncertain tone.

"Is everyone okay?"

Sorrow and affection squeezed Galo's heart because that was _so Lio_. Meis released a humorless chuckle as he relaxed, and Guiera shook his head as he replied.

"Yeah, Boss, everyone except you."

Lio scanned their concerned faces, then seemed to take stock of his physical condition as he tried to piece the situation together. The nurse took the sensor wire from his hand and skirted the group to get the IV and various monitors set back up on the side.

"You scared the hell out of us again," Meis frowned.

"I'm… fine…" Lio began, making an effort to sit up straighter, ease the pain lines from his face and clench down on his shivering.

The doctor from the day before entered the room with Ignis just in time to hear Lio's words.

"No, you're not," she said in a clipped tone. "And from what your friends tell me, you likely have a fair bit more to weather through."

Lio's body seemed to be rebelling against his own statement, too, as they could see the adrenalin wear off and he started to list backwards. A queasy look took over his face as they helped him lay back.

The doctor sighed as she stepped over and gently examined his right side. Lio watched, wary and tense, but allowed the doctor to examine and the nurse to finish setting him back up on the monitors before she left.

"The bruising looks better, that's a good sign for the pace of healing," the doctor said with satisfaction. And they could see that she was right, black having transitioned to a rainbow of colors and the swelling reduced enough that Lio's face actually looked familiar again.

If the mark from the ice bullet was improving, however, it was hard to tell. Lio looked down at the unfamiliar sight and grimaced, putting his hand over the center of the mark.

"Is it still cold?" The doctor questioned. Lio shifted his eyes to her and kept a cautious poker face while he gave a slight nod.

"What is happening with the Burnish?" He demanded, looking between those present.

The doctor blinked and began in a tone of disbelief, "I hardly think this is the time--"

But Ignis cut her off. "They're doing as well as can be expected. Most have physically recovered with a good night's sleep, only a few dozen are still hospitalized. The city has approved an emergency two-week support plan, so all Burnish will be provided for until the interim leadership is able to meet and discuss a more formalized approach. I've advised that you will be an essential party to that discussion."

Lio's face had eased into relief and then a kind of uncertain vulnerability as Ignis explained what had been done on his behalf. He was thoughtfully silent for a moment. Ignis asked the doctor for a few minutes of privacy, which she granted under mild protest.

"Thank you for arranging all that." Lio finally murmured.

Galo stared at Ignis. How had he done that? Known what Lio needed?

"I'll first inspect the security measures in place, those tend to be _underestimated_ by officials," Lio continued, already trying to sit up again, "And talk with as many Burnish as possible today so we can gauge--"

Lio was cut off by Meis' thunderous face suddenly in his own. Gueira slung a forearm in front of his shoulders and pushed them gently but relentless back down to the pillow.

"I. Am. Fine." Lio grit out with a glare, as if saying it would make it true.

"You _will_ be if you take care of yourself _now_." Meis shot back.

"Either that, or _we'll_ take care of you." Gueira got a scary grin, cracking his knuckles.

"There's two of us."

"And you're small."

"And we're smart."

"You're _idiots_." Lio cut in.

"Well, you seem to _like_ those." Meis stated with a wicked smile, flicking his eyes blatantly to Galo and back, as if he wanted to see Lio's reaction, confirm a suspicion.

Meis was rewarded with the return of some color to Lio's cheeks as he looked outraged. Then he adopted a smile twice as wicked as Meis'.

" _You_ want to do it all, then? You're going to regret this. We have twenty thousand people who are suspicious of authority, and more incoming, in a city suspicious of _them_ and overextended with other problems." Then Lio launched into a long list of things that needed doing by his newly appointed proxies.

His revenge was hampered by the looks of satisfaction that passed between the two lieutenants and the way they took over with self-assignments.

"Security review." Gueira ticked off a finger.

"Make sure the accommodations are adequate." Meis chimed in.

"Get a read on the vibe within the community."

"Identify the ones struggling the most."

"Take time to reassure the children."

"We should check-in with the global network." Meis addressed Gueira who nodded.

"And see what Burnish are incoming."

"We'll need to meet this city's government bosses."

"Ugh."

Lio had fallen silent, an abashed half smile on his face as his top leaders turned back to him.

"We got this. Not much different from setting up a settlement." Gueira grinned with confidence.

"We've followed you long enough to know how this goes. It's not our first rodeo." Meis reminded him.

"Just a little easier this time since we aren't at odds with the local suits and uniforms."

"You can trust us, you know."

"Of course I know." Lio said.

The two folded their arms, their eyes pointedly scanning his mottled body. Lio looked away with an acknowledging frown and moved to cross his arms, but the cast and wires made it impossible. The initial flailing and resulting pout made Galo bite his lip as his heart squeezed. Moments where Lio was not so smooth were pretty adorable, he concluded.

Lio sighed. "I'm trusting you with the most _important_ thing," he clarified. Galo didn't know why that statement made him feel all mixed up inside.

Gueira and Meis also looked unsettled.

"We can take turns, take shifts." Gueira stated.

"You shouldn't be alone if-- when other stuff happens." Meis gestured with a grimace to Lio's body.

Ignis, listening attentively up to this point, cut in.

"You two are uniquely needed in the field, sounds like. Galo can stay."

"Captain!" Galo exclaimed, relieved.

Meis and Gueira tilted their heads at Galo, considering.

Lio broke the speculative silence with a slight eye roll. "Yes, you two idiots go take care of our people. This idiot can stay with me."

Lio's surprising lack of resistance to the idea settled it. They could all see that the patient was growing weary again as he sank deeper into his pillow, arms settling at his sides.

"Keep me updated," Lio issued a final command.

Meis pointed at Galo. "And _you_ keep _us_ updated." Neatly circumventing Lio.

"You get better, Boss." Gueira insisted.

"We do still need you." Meis added.

They both ruffled his hair before he could react and then stepped away.

The two Burnish each slung an arm around Galo as they walked towards the doorway, giving him tips on watching over the boss that mostly amounted to "he won't ask for things, so you have to be pushy." Galo promised them hourly updates, which earned him an approving slap on the back from Gueira.

"If anything seems off, talk to us. Mess this up and die." Meis deadpanned.

Over their chattering and threats, Galo heard Lio ask Ignis with touching sincerity to watch over his two fellow leaders. Ignis nodded and promised he had it covered.

Ignis gave Galo a final nod as he approached them in the doorway and escorted Meis and Gueira out, promising them a stop at the station so they could freshen up.

Galo tilted his head as he watched them walk down the hall. Observing them help Lio had been informative, but it also brought up a new question. Lio might not want _Galo_ 's assistance, for good reason, but why hadn't he told the two people closest to him, either?

When he turned back, Galo found Lio watching him, a small, affectionate smile on his face.

"You're thinking pretty hard over there. I'm afraid to ask."

Galo marched directly over to him, sat in a chair and stared for a beat. At Lio's raised eyebrow, he asked, "Why didn't you tell them you were hurt?"

As Lio's face carefully blanked, Galo continued, "I mean, I understand why not me, but you guys are really close and they want to help you. Why did you hide all this?" he gestured to Lio's battered body.

"We had more important things to worry about. Besides, it wouldn't have mattered," Lio explained in a reasonable tone.

"Wouldn't have mattered?!" Galo exclaimed, face twisted in incredulity.

Lio continued, clearly thinking he was stating the obvious. "I couldn't leave them when they needed me. So seeing what was happening would only have made them feel worse. It's not like anyone could do anything about it, anyway."

Galo buried his face in his hands, barely able to contain himself. He wanted to yell "you're dumber than me!" but could sense that would be counterproductive.

Up to this point, Galo had interacted with Lio based on pure instinct, and it had worked. Partially. That wasn't good enough here, he had to take it to the next level and earn this trust somehow. Understand things better so he could _actually_ help Lio, in whatever way he really needed. Galo's confidence wavered a bit when he thought about figuring it out, but returned in full force with the simple thought that this was for Lio, and he'd do whatever it took to be there for him. And hopefully do well enough that he didn't earn hatred like Kray's in return.

Galo dropped his hands and saw Lio giving his reaction a doubtful look. He was also clearly fighting off sleep.

Galo felt his insides turn to mush at the groggy blinking of those brilliant faceted eyes combatting the fierce resolve to stay awake. To talk to _him_. He smiled softly and once more reached out, placed his fingers on top of Lio's partially exposed ones.

"It does matter." Was all he said, momentarily resigned to leave it at that.

Lio's face relaxed fully and he turned his hand over so the insides of his fingers brushed against Galo's. Wrapped around them for a moment. Then, as if he realized what he was doing, he withdrew his hand. Resolutely closed his eyes. Despite continued small shivers, he drifted off almost immediately.

After calling for the doctor and helping get Lio set up with fresh heat packs, Galo sat across both seats, knees drawn up, to wait. Looking at Lio resting, he decided this waiting wasn't the bad kind. He pulled out his phone, snapped a quick picture of Lio--stared at it feeling all wobbly inside--and put it in a message to Meis, Gueira, and the members of his Burning Rescue unit with the text, "Sleeping beautifully" and hit send.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please ignore POV sloppiness, because I am.
> 
> Thank you to those who commented on the first chapter--I'm sure you've heard it from other writers, but it makes a big difference to hear what you experienced when we send our work out into the void.
> 
> I'm planning to have another chapter edited and up by Wed/Thurs to celebrate the end of Redux. ;_; Seeing it 4 times this week, which still doesn't feel like enough…


	3. First Glimpse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lio's POV, but Galo is the one starting to understand the situation. A little time for conversation reveals many things. Also, the Burning Rescue team proves there's no bad time for a pizza party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, was not supposed to take this long to post the next chapter, but life hit hard.
> 
> On the plus side, an AMAZING new beta reader offered to help. Thank you, Spectrospecs! This chapter is so very much better because of her. She really dug in deep to help me see how to improve. And a huge continued thank you to Jobler, for being a valuable first set of eyes. And deep gratitude to the kind people who have left comments.
> 
> For the first time, I feel good about posting something. It's a pretty nice feeling!
> 
> Now on to torment…

***

_Lio had been putting one foot in front of the other for hours. The ground was an ice so pure, it shot through him as each step connected. Racing up over skin and through bone until it pierced his heart and sank into the cracks of his ribs and arm and jaw, turning their pulsing ache into sharp lances again with every beat._

_But in this cold, dark, empty place, the only agency he had was to keep walking._

_At first he had needed to pause between each footfall, absorbing the consequences and preparing himself for the next one. He couldn't pause too long, though, or he'd think about the following step and may not take it at all._

_Thousands of hard-fought strides later, he realized he wasn't hesitating and his movement was consistent, though not much faster. The pain was less or he was more numb._

_Where was he going?_

_He risked a stop to look around, wondering why he hadn't wondered that before._

_This place… it wasn't meant to be cold. This was where fire was. The warmth of connection. The heat of his own living will. Why was it dark? Silent._ Cold _._

_Wait, not silent… Lio listened more closely, stilling his shuddering breaths. It was faint, like the far off roar of ocean waves or… or a fire…_

_As he listened the sound seemed to draw nearer. Began to echo from every direction._

_Then he recognized it. And he ran._

_The futility of such an action when there was no direction and the sound was everywhere didn't matter. He had to escape. Where could he go, where could he go--_

_It was truly a roar now and he knew it all too well, it had been burned into the deepest places within him-- screaming, screaming, such pain-filled screams, tearing his heart with grief and agony, the fire unbearable, imprisoning him like fire was never meant to do--_

_Through his own tears and screams he heard something else, that soothing voice--_

_Saw a faint glow that seemed too far but was also right in front of him--_

_And with a last desperate surge he leapt towards the pale light--_

Lio's eyes snapped open and his gasp was a scream turned inward. He was immediately blinded, the intense sunlight of this new place tearing at his unadjusted eyes. In complete disorientation, he was only aware of two things. The weight of a hand resting against his chest as he gasped frantically to take in enough air, and the sun hovering over him.

Stunning clear blue eyes in a face that shone from within. Just as he had leapt towards the glow, his hand instinctively continued the path, reaching to touch that face as the eyes lifted him up, pulled him from the dark pain…

His hand froze, an inch away, as a sense of realness sank in. This place was solid. Consistent, logical.

A hospital.

The relative normalcy was jarring, because the other place had been so real, too.

And the sun that had pulled him with its light and gravity was an earnest firefighter whose concern shone as clearly as the actual sunlight beaming in through the window.

Lio exhaled a strained breath as his hand dropped and he accepted that the imminent danger had not followed him.

 _Safe_ whispered through his mind and sank into his heart from the warm hand covering it.

"That must have been some nightmare," Galo murmured, worry showing in his eyes and through the tension in his jaw. He lifted his other hand, reaching for Lio's face, but then hesitated.

Two desires tugged Lio in different directions. One, for that hand to continue its journey so he could tuck his cheek into it and absorb its caressing comfort. Let it ease over the screams and fear buried deep within him.

But he went with the second impulse. The right one. He tore his eyes away from the warm blue and shifted slightly backwards to signal a desire for distance. He had to grit his teeth when his heart cried out at the removal of the hand protecting it. Galo backed up a couple of feet and Lio felt the return of the cold.

He blinked, self-inflicted regret momentarily set aside as he realized the physical cold wasn't quite as severe as the last time he was conscious.

"Your temperature went up." Galo stated, as if he had heard what Lio was thinking.

Lio turned his eyes back to Galo and tried not to _feel_ too much at the way his encouraging smile couldn't quite cover the hint of sadness as he gazed at Lio. Galo nodded his head slightly at a monitor showing Lio's vital stats. It was indeed showing a more reasonable number for a human body, confirming the reason Lio's need to shiver had significantly diminished. Lio could feel some of his tension unwind, relieved at this positive sign after what had seemed like an endless journey.

Galo took a deep breath and clapped his hands together, smile turning braver and more genuine. Something tugged inside Lio, tried to curl forward.

"I'm glad you're awake now, though." Galo's tone became confiding. Then he shifted into a slight pout. "Everyone's posting stupid responses when I send the hourly update pictures." Galo flipped through his phone. "I'm just trying not to make them look all the same even though you weren't moving, but everyone keeps saying things…" Vibrant red spotted his cheeks. "I don't even understand most of it…" he muttered.

"What time is it?" Lio spoke at last, mind still hazy and voice slightly rough, trying to connect meaning to Galo's rambling but definitely missing something. His expression was ridiculously endearing, though. _No, stop it_.

Galo stashed his phone and refocused on Lio, his eager grin back in full force.

"Meis and Gueira left a few hours ago, it's almost lunchtime. Feeling hungry?" Galo leaned closer again. Still shining from within. Phantom fire flickered under Lio's skin as Galo filled his space. Once more inches from _touching_. His presence pulled at Lio's senses _again_ suggesting he do just that. He was not used to wanting to move _closer_ when people got in his face, but Galo kept being an exception to everything in Lio's world. A snap of panic stung Lio as contrary desire once again struck a blow against carefully honed will.

"Too close." He quickly lifted one hand to cover his heated face and pushed Galo away with the other, sitting up without too much difficulty.

And then another jarring moment as he noticed that his right arm was free of its cast.

"Yeah, the X-rays showed the bones were healed enough to not need a splint anymore." Galo stated as if personally proud of the improvement.

Lio put aside a disturbed feeling as he realized how out-cold he'd been to have missed all that. At least it was another positive development. There was a persistent ache across his right side, rather than the sharp pains from before. He pushed aside the heat packs on his left side and noticed the blue and white markings were noticeably fading. He knew there were more physical symptoms coming, could feel it in the new kind of weariness his body had been signaling with each retreating layer of healing. But it was still encouraging to know that healing was indeed succeeding, even if it was more difficult and painful than previously.

He was good at toughing things out.

His face relaxed further in relief. Galo's smile grew at this response before the larger man began replacing the warming units.

Recalling Galo's question, Lio realized it had indeed been awhile since he'd last eaten and he was no longer feeling the intense queasiness from the first time he'd woken up earlier this morning. He supposed it was important to keep up his energy. He looked up at Galo, who was again _too close_ as he leaned over Lio. But he steeled himself against it with a ferocity that was coming more easily with the increasing distance from the dark dream.

Running his tongue between his lips at the thought of food, he opened his mouth to speak just as Galo froze, his own mouth parted, staring at the lower half of Lio's face. Unsure what had caused this response, Lio put a self-conscious hand to his jaw, wondering how messed up it still looked. It felt better, so he spoke to reassure.

"I think I can eat."

Galo blinked, snapping out of his daze, and his eyes flew from Lio's mouth to his eyes. Cheeks once more glowing pink, Galo immediately straightened, hand behind his head as he laughed awkwardly about who knew what.

"Got it! On it!" He saluted and stepped away from the bed as he began making a call.

Lio leaned back against his propped up pillows, content to enjoy the view from a distance. Trying to steady himself and reclaim control of his thoughts and actions.

Because, sweet flames, was Galo an intense experience to wake up to. The first time, when Galo had saved his life, it had filled him with a hope and raw energy that left no room for hesitation. He'd tossed aside his shirt and thrown himself entirely into joining with his partner, soul to soul. _Glorious_. This time, the pull was still there--reach, connect, get closer--but there was no _need_ anymore, so why did it continue to tug at him? The world didn't need saving, there was nothing left to burn together. In addition to that unavoidable gravity was the increasingly inescapable truth that Galo could make him feel things before he even had a chance to think. That was dangerous.

Lio looked at his fingers, remembering the warm touch from this morning.

 _It does matter_.

He'd been unable to resist responding. Yes, _hungry_ for reassurance. His barriers had crumbled at a single touch--he clenched his hand into a loose fist. He had to be more disciplined than that.

_Is it so bad to want comfort?_

_Yes_ , he mentally hissed at that timid voice inside. Lio knew--you couldn't show weakness in front of those you were trying to protect, any more than you could in front of those you were protecting them _from_. He had to be the shield, not the other way around. He couldn't be _needy_ , people had to believe they could rely on him. It was something he had learned from taking up the mantle of leadership at such a young age. You had to be able to carry the weight and not let it fall through to those around you.

A shiver flurried through Lio--in some ways, their infrequency now made them more noticeable. Without thinking, he reached for the heat inside, mentally sending a gentle voice. His pulse tripped in his throat when nothing happened. He shook his head, scowling and annoyed at the persistent instinct, even as something inside cried out at the absence. He needed to stop doing that. It just gave him another pang of grief when chill quiet answered back from a place that was now dark. But it was so intuitive, and his cold and aching body was a constant reminder, a demand for what wasn't there. He tried to hold back the icy prickles of fear. The truth was, he was undeniably weak now, and that was a terrifying thought. How could he protect without his fire, his core strength? It just made it all the more important to offset perceptions of weakness.

He determinedly shook off the last wispy feelings from his dream and its aftermath.

Galo hung up his call and bound back over to Lio.

"They were already on their way! You're going to _love_ this, it's our favorite pizza."

An uncharacteristic look of uncertainty suddenly settled on Galo's face as he focused back on Lio. "I guess… I assumed again… about what you need..."

Lio's senses sharpened at Galo's strange hesitancy, easily shifting from his own reflections as he noticed something was off with his companion. He wanted to put whatever random concern had permeated Galo's brain to rest. "I don't have any food allergies. If it's your favorite, I'm sure it's good," he reassured.

Galo brightened up again. "Hah! Anything's better than hospital food."

Lio's brows went up in mild amusement. "It's not the _worst_ food, and at least it's regular."

Galo looked thoughtful for a moment, and Lio found himself thinking he really liked that expression. It meant… he was trying to understand Lio. Like it mattered to him. He tried to ignore the soft feeling that glanced across his heart.

"The Burnish eat, but… _what_ did you eat? How did you get food if you were hiding out in off-grid settlements?"

As in previous encounters, Lio instantly wanted to explain things to Galo. Being honest with himself, he had always w _anted_ Galo to understand, even if he hadn't believed it possible. Maintained his guard against such expectations. But Galo had proven he _heard_ Lio. And then some. So.

"We had to scavenge. If we… hit a town, it was usually to get supplies without being too obvious in our intentions or leaving a trail. If a settlement lasted for awhile, we were able to grow some things and eat pretty simply."

Galo sat down and leaned his arms on the bed, listening intently. Waiting for him to continue.

Lio released himself fully to the pull this time. He was indulging Galo, not himself. He took a deep breath, glanced at the ceiling as he sorted through his memories.

"We always made sure we could pick up and leave quickly. One of the worst parts of getting our homes destroyed or having to flee was leaving behind the small crops and gardens that had managed to take root. We couldn't take those with us, had to start completely over." Lio turned his head to make eye contact again. "It was really hard for everyone to keep trying, keep planting. You take care of something, day after day, hoping, and then have to abandon it. But we were determined that we'd eventually be self-sufficient enough to not have to raid much anymore." Lio straightened further. "To take care of our own needs, so we didn't have to remain vulnerable or rely on what wasn't coming."

Galo was running his thumb along his knuckles, deep in thought and watching Lio as he concluded his explanation. He took a moment to exhale before responding.

"So. You learned not to expect anything or hold on to much." Galo stated, lowering his eyes.

"I… yes. That would have just set us up for worse suffering for no reason. And we didn't _want_ to hurt anyone else by taking what we needed." Lio acknowledged.

Galo stilled at Lio's final sentence. Seemed to process it, then looked at Lio as if making a connection. A light broke free in Galo's face and his expression morphed to one of realization. Lio was tempted to laugh at how openly Galo it was.

Before he could ask, the sound of energetic voices coming from the hall drew both their gazes to the doorway. Galo quickly turned back to Lio, as if trying to fit in a reply before their arrival, but sighed with a half smile as the full contingent of Burning Rescue Three members, minus Ignis, spilled into Lio's room.

And the smell wafting from the stack of pizza boxes they brought made Lio realize just how hungry he really was.

Varys laughed as he watched Lio follow the pizza boxes with his eyes. "Well I guess someone has an appetite!"

"It's Inferno Volcano Margherita Mega Max Pizza, no one can resist!" Galo declared, jumping to his feet and moving to grab a box. "They really let you all in with outside food?"

Aina snatched the box back with a wink. "We professional rescue workers have more flexible rules."

Remi slapped a change of clothes into Galo's chest. "Stop being gross. Shower is down the hall."

Aina pushed him towards the door. "And wear a shirt, this is a hospital."

Galo, recognizing the futility of resistance when the pizza was under guard, snatched the clothes and ran out the door. "Two minutes!"

With him gone, all eyes turned to Lio, who schooled his face and shoulders at the sudden attention.

Remi smirked at him. "You're looking less horrible. Colorful even." He pointed to the fading bruises.

Lucia grabbed a box, bounced over and unceremoniously plopped on the end of the bed, cross-legged. She opened the box and held it up for Lio. Despite himself, his eyes widened and his mouth watered. She laughed gleefully and pulled out a slice, handing the box to Aina who sat down in a chair beside the bed to watch.

"Okay, cute boy, open wide!"

Lio opened his mouth to protest both the name and the implication that he needed to be hand fed, but Lucia was unnervingly fast. Before he knew it, his mouth was full of crust and sauce and gooey cheese, and _oh_. All thoughts of protest left him.

His eyes closed automatically as he took hold of the slice and bit off the mouthful. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had pizza, but it hadn't always been like this, had it? A rare sense of well-being settled over Lio as he was immersed in the flavors and textures. He didn't open his eyes until he'd fully savored and swallowed that first bite.

Then his eyes sprang open in wonder and he looked around at everyone, holding up his slice in stunned silence.

"Yep, we know," Aina grinned, propping her elbows on his bed and starting on her own slice.

Remi put his phone away and joined the others in devouring the pizzas. No one spoke during their first slices, out of respect for the moment. As the team settled around the room, a razor of instinct sliced Lio, chiding him for losing focus. He paused in his pizza euphoria, immediately surveying the room-- _Aina was within arms reach and he could tell she was incredibly strong, she could easily restrain him; Lucia had taken a tactically strong position that allowed her to pivot in any direction he might bolt and potentially cut him off, but her small size might make it possible to leap over or dodge; Remi was sitting on a cot that put him closer to the door than Lio, cutting off that escape route if he didn’t use the element of surprise; Varys was definitely blocking the way to the window, he'd have to go low to have the advantage_ \--

There was a single, weightless moment where their faces rather than their body positions came into sharp focus, and the world turned upside down.

The quick calculations as he assessed their positions suddenly crashed into an instinct that couldn't be more opposite, leaving him with a ringing in his ears as he almost dropped his half-eaten pizza.

 _Aina was beside him, he could protect her in less than a second so she could arm herself with some of the heavy equipment; regardless of where an attack came from, Lio could whisk Lucia off the bed in either direction and have it shield her while she took the low position; Remi's position allowed him to look through the doorway and down the hall in one direction, but Lio had clear line of sight in the other direction, so he could cover him from that angle and they could maintain full vantage; Varys had his back to the window, but Lio could see anything coming and give fair warning_ \--

Lio blinked rapidly feeling decidedly off-balance at the two warring reactions. He shook his head, trying to find clear focus.

Galo burst back through the doorway, hair damp, in fresh clothes, panting from running back down the hall. And instantly, Lio's internal stance towards the room snapped cleanly and emphatically to _Protect_. Once that was subconsciously set, it was easy to recognize that it matched his conscious alignment towards this specific group. With a relieved sigh, Lio unwound. Returned to the joy of his pizza.

Galo gave a small cry as he saw Lio finishing his crust with quiet delight.

"I missed it!" He wailed. "The first experience!"

"Don't worry," Remi smiled unsettlingly as he held up his phone. "I got it recorded."

Lio didn't understand Galo's problem considering there was still plenty of pizza for him--maybe a team tradition to eat the first slice together?--but he was already getting lost in his second slice, so he didn’t fixate on it.

"How much." Galo glared.

"Two weeks of dish duty." Remi demanded.

"Two weeks?!"

"Wait a sec…" Remi made a show of angling his phone away from Galo and watching something with raised eyebrows, then hitting pause. Galo's fingers twitched. "A month. Plus a pot of that dark coffee I like every morning."

"What?!" Galo looked ready to explode.

"Trust me," Remi tilted the phone towards Galo so he could see the paused image. "It's _worth it_."

Galo stopped breathing and Lio really started to wonder about this pizza tradition.

With tears in his eyes, Galo nodded and snatched Remi's phone, punching in the option to send it to himself, muttering something about "rescuing precious moments".

Seeing Lio finish his second slice, Varys scooted the rolling stool he was sitting on closer and held out an open box so Lio could take another piece. Lio hesitated and scanned the supply, because he wasn't technically _hungry_ anymore and didn't want to take more than his share, but secretly still wanted more because it was so amazing.

"Eat. This pizza will bulk you up," Varys encouraged. "You can get strong like me." And he flexed a bicep.

Lio’s lips quirked at the idea and he eyed the massive appendage appreciatively. "That is impressive."

Galo, looking flustered, ducked under Varys' arm to stand closer to Lio and planted both hands on the bed. "I can eat more pizza than him!"

"In what universe?" Varys quipped.

Lio felt like _he_ was in another universe. All of a sudden, his bed was the overcrowded battleground of a pizza-eating contest. Lucia was the referee as Galo and Varys squared off, and it was grotesquely fascinating for Lio to watch them consume whole pizzas in seconds. In the end, Varys managed to eat the last pizza faster than Galo, who Lucia declared had officially lost. The penalty was apparently to be hauled off in a headlock by Varys while enduring a lecture about not taking on opponents bigger than he was.

This whole lunch period had been a combination of relief, surprising satisfaction, and general bewilderment for Lio, and in this moment, watching the camaraderie and Galo's reactions, something unfurled inside of him. His laughter bubbled up and spilled over, because Galo _did_ have a bad habit of taking on immense adversaries without any restraint. But to be fair, he supposed he did as well.

His ribs immediately protested, but Galo had also immediately ceased his struggles, eyes wide and fixed on Lio, as if overwhelmed by something wondrous. Not wanting to reveal his discomfort, Lio ignored the pain and allowed himself to enjoy the laughter only Galo-related things seemed to summon. Despite the soreness, it felt good anyway, as a sparkly feeling danced through his veins. He was peripherally aware that the others were looking at him, too, but it seemed unimportant just then.

When Lio's open mirth died down, Galo suddenly began tugging on Varys' arm again, looking frustrated to be pinned on the other side of the room from Lio, and he began arguing back.

With Galo's focus no longer on him and the room's attention back on the activity between Galo and Varys, Lio allowed himself an almost-silent hiss, wincing with his arms around his ribs and shoulders clenched against the residual pain he had tried to hide.

"Hey." Aina said quietly from where she still sat, elbows resting on the bed. Lio snapped startled eyes over to her. She gestured to Lio's arms holding his ribs. "You doing okay there? We can get some more pain meds--"

Lio immediately dropped his arms. He took a small breath as the pain reduced to an ache. "I'm--" he almost said 'fine' again. "--feeling better. This…" he looked around at the group's antics. "Actually helps," he concluded in surprise. He didn't notice the inner silence so much when surrounded by this energy.

Aina nodded and interlaced her fingers together. "I know you're dealing with a lot, so… just… take care. So you can get better." She cast a concerned glance at Galo, who had finally been released and was now arguing the fairness of the call. She took a deep breath and spoke more quietly. "I don't think Galo could handle it otherwise."

Still feeling a little weightless from the earlier laughter, Lio offered her a small honest smile. He nodded in understanding. "Galo has a really big heart. Guess that's why he's always trying to rescue everyone."

Aina raised an eyebrow pointedly and held him in an assessing gaze. He quirked his head slightly, wondering what she was looking for. She smacked a palm to her face and started a rapid murmured diatribe that Lio didn't follow but thought he heard _cute_ and _similarly stupid_. Then she leveled an exasperated, disgruntled glare at him.

"You'd better figure it out first, though, because he is REALLY stupid."

"What??" Lio choked on a laugh. He was still lost on what exactly she was driving at, but could tell that she was trying to be encouraging in her own way. She just crossed her arms and gave him a stubborn you-figure-it-out look. For some reason, Lio found himself grinning.

He could see why she was Galo's close friend. She seemed to understand Galo, maybe she had some insight on how to deal with his unusual pull.

Lio scooted down until he could lean on his elbow, waited a moment for the flare of an ache to fade, and faced her more closely as he responded to her comment.

"No doubt, he's as complete an idiot as he self-proclaims. But he's also… weirdly smart? In a way that's just… Galo." He glanced across the room at the man in question, then back to Aina. "He picks up on things I wouldn't think he'd notice, and faces everything head on, and makes impossible things happen in ways that break all logic. He makes me _believe_ in _stupid_ things, and then they work. There's just always a _pull_. It's like his will alone is pure enough to change anything for the better." Lio startled himself with how easily the candid words tumbled out. A warmth spread through him as he spoke and he could feel it in his face. It was an unfamiliar feeling, but one he wanted to _understand_. So he let Aina see him honestly, no mask or filter.

Aina stared at him, her mouth slightly parted. Then, with a quirk of her lips, she closed her eyes and sighed, shoulders dropping. Looked both relieved and resigned. She opened her eyes and the smile she offered him was genuine.

"Well alright then." And she gave his hand a squeeze.

Before Lio could ask anything else, Lucia bounced onto the bed at exactly that moment and inserted her face between theirs looking rapidly back and forth between them.

"Is this a slumber party now? I want in."

Aina laughed, then stood, stretching. "Nah, and we should get going. Our late lunch break is definitely over."

"Aww," Lucia bemoaned. Then she turned to Lio with a sly smile. "You've certainly improved Galo's photography skills." She gave him a pat on the cheek. "But you are a really pretty subject. I look forward to future updates. I'm making you something."

"Do I want to know?" he simply asked, wisely deciding not to probe further on her first comments.

Lucia just laughed in delight and hopped off the bed.

With lots of ribbing and well wishes and calls of farewell, the four on-duty Burning Rescue members collected the empty pizza boxes and filed out the door.

Lio's mind was swirling from the activity as he settled back and realized he didn't feel cold anymore.

"On a scale of one to ten," Lio said, keeping his face and voice serious as Galo returned from waving goodbye at the door, "That pizza..." Lio paused intensely and Galo braced his hands on the bed, "Was definitely..." Galo gripped the sheets and leaned forward, "An eleven!"

Galo sat down hard in the chair. "That's more than a 10! That's better than a 10!"

Lio had to bite his lip at the sheer joy in Galo's face.

Then it turned into a moment that felt a little wrong, because Galo slumped forward with a relief that exceeded his previous joy. As if his anxiety had been greater than his anticipation, which wasn't very… Galo.

Before Lio could probe, Galo began talking, ruffling his hand in his still very damp blue locks. The weight of the water pulled them from their usual spikes into a softer wave.

"The pizza was even better before."

Lio's fingers itched to see what his hair was like, still wet from the shower. He sat back against the pillows and crossed his arms, the remaining soreness in his ribs distracting him from strange impulses. But he was beginning to notice a new achiness spreading throughout the rest of his body as well.

"The owner of the pizzaria was arrested the day after we caught you. He had hired a Burnish, who was _really_ the best at making pizza. The owner defended him when Freeze Force came for him."

Galo's words fully held Lio's attention now.

"What happened?"

"The owner was released with a warning a few days later. He made today's pizza."

"I hope you tipped him well."

Galo gave a crooked smile. "Aina said he was having trouble getting business. That's why they made sure to stop by with a big order."

Lio knew this story inside and out. The same themes of prejudice and persecution always dominated.

"I'm glad they did. That's how it's always been, though. Burnish who try to integrate in normal society have always been in danger, as were the few people who tried to support or hide them. It got worse after..." Lio cut himself off. He did _not_ want to talk about Foresight. It set off a roar in his mind, a collision of rage and remembered agony, and it definitely wasn't something he wanted to waste any more of his energy on. Ever.

He could tell that Galo had filled in the blank, though, as the taller man clenched his hands together and remained unusually silent. One of the things Lio found he hated most about Kray was the absolute vitriol he had spewed at someone as kind, brave, and worthy as Galo. The roar tried to take over, but he firmly shut the door and blocked out the sound.

Determined, Lio tried to steer the conversation away from that minefield.

"What happened to the Burnish pizza maker?"

"We were eating there when it happened and tried to stop Vulcan from taking him away, but it didn't work."

Lio straightened. "You tried to save a Burnish civilian from Freeze Force?"

"Of course! He wasn't doing anything wrong or intentionally setting fires!"

Lio considered this new bit of information. Prior to engineering his own arrest by the Burning Rescue team, he had known they treated the Burnish they encountered in their rescues humanely and in the full view of public oversight, unlike the Freeze Force's secret police tactics.

He hadn't known they stood up for the Burnish in their everyday lives. That a team dedicated to fighting Burnish flames would try to defend the Burnish themselves. He marveled at the realization that they bothered to see the threat separate from the person. Galo had once again pushed him to see different possibilities.

He blinked from his thoughts as a water bottle appeared in front of his eyes.

He _was_ thirsty. "Thank you."

Galo was staring intently, like Lio was a mystery. "You didn't say you needed it, but I figured you might want some water…"

Galo paused, like he was looked for confirmation despite the fact that Lio had already taken the bottle and unscrewed the cap.

"I did. Thank you?" He said again and made a show of drinking, wondering what was causing Galo's strange hesitation. He was definitely acting off.

Galo leaned back, momentarily satisfied, and continued. "He was on the Parnassus, that Burnish pizza maker. Remi said the restaurant owner put in a request to find him and see if he wants his job back." Galo was slowly becoming more animated. "Can you imagine? After all this, he can have a normal life again!"

Lio finished a gulp of water, swiping his wrist across his forehead to ease its ache before screwing on the bottle cap again.

"It's not always that easy," Lio sighed. "People on both sides will need to adjust, there will still be friction. Besides, he may want to do something different, go somewhere else, start fresh, now that he can."

This seemed to upset Galo. With fiery determination, he pushed back. "But… there are lots of good things in Promepolis. And lots of the Burnish are here now. Burning Rescue is here, and we're going to help."

Lio scrunched his brow, trying to puzzle through Galo's reply and understand why he had become so heated about a pizza maker.

"We have _level 11_ pizza, and nice parks, and karaoke bowling…"

"Karaoke bowling??"

"And, um, libraries, and water parks, and art stuff, and a whole fashion district that definitely has black leather…"

Suddenly, Lio realized they weren't talking about the pizza maker.

"I mean, there are so many good things that the Burnish can now get to enjoy, too! Why would anyone want to leave? And I think, we'll need all the help we can get to rebuild. For everyone. A-- a home together." Galo had gotten very quiet and intense.

Lio's heart was doing strange things as he tried to imagine a future getting to stay in one place, being close to these people, close to Galo…

"Maybe… plant some things?" Galo suggested in a hushed voice.

Lio really couldn't picture it, doing day-to-day things, not needing to be on guard and planning for survival. It was the kind of life he had always hoped to provide for others, but had known that he, the leader of Mad Burnish, would never have the chance to enjoy. He didn't allow himself to envision what any of that would be like. The only thing that felt a little more solid, something he could start to picture, was the hint of comfort from being with this person…

"You can stay with me… if you want--I mean, you'll need a place…"

A place. Something gripped Lio, and it felt strangely like fear. He may not know what the future would hold, but he knew enough not to believe in "home".

"I just… it's complicated…" Lio stammered.

"You don't have to answer now!" Galo blurted in a panic and his hands reached forward then halted. "You can-- we can-- you can figure out what you want as we go along. You can just… tell us. What you need. All of you, the Burnish, I mean. And-- and also _you_. I mean, I'll _try_ to figure it out, but…"

What _Lio_ needed wasn't something he could ask for. Strength to protect his people. No one could give him that, and he'd lost his primary source. He reached again, exposing the void, and mentally screamed into it. But he noticed that the cold inside no longer matched his external reality. He was physically actually warm. _Hot_ even. And it didn't feel soothing like it used to. The ache had settled into his muscles.

"Just stay…" Galo almost-whispered when he got no reply. Lio looked over into tense, pleading blue eyes. His breath caught.

Something really wrong was going on inside of Galo's head. All thoughts of his own future situation were shoved out of his mind, seeing that look of torment. He desperately grasped at whatever he could think would make Galo feel better, take away that look. _What makes Galo happy??_ It was getting hard to think through the warm haze his body was locked in, though, so he just blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Matoi!"

Galo startled at Lio's outburst.

Yes, if there was any topic Galo could for sure be distracted by, that was it, Lio felt confident.

"Um, it seems to be an important part of Burning Rescue and your life. Here. In Promepolis. It would help me to understand… things..." Lio paused, realizing that he was losing focus. He took a deep breath. "Why is it so important to you? I want to know." Lio tried to rein in his attention and show he was listening.

"O-okay. Well, when I was studying about firefighters--"

"You studied?" Lio half smiled as he pictured Galo surrounded by books. The expressions he likely made while reading them…

Galo nodded emphatically. "A burning soul needs fuel! And I wanted to be really good, so that…" Galo's face darkened. Then he shook his head and continued. "My grandfather came from Japan, and I found out that they had a whole long tradition of firefighting there, way before all the Promare stuff happened! Like, _hundreds_ of years!"

Lio smiled fully as Galo couldn't help getting excited about the subject. This was a simple, beautiful man.

"The matoi was a flag the bravest firefighters had, and they used it to rescue people and summon help." Galo held an invisible pole aloft in a gesture Lio could now easily recognize. "They would stand on a nearby roof, unafraid of the blaze, with just their burning souls and their matoi, so everyone could see where the fire was and escape to safety and the firefighters could put out the fire."

"I see," Lio said fondly. Showiness and bravery did indeed match Galo's approach.

"They just had to be there with their matoi and people knew where to go, how to follow and be rescued… they were able to rescue lots of people at once…"

"And it really works, as you demonstrated." Lio gestured and gave him an encouraging nod. "I'd say you're particularly good at it. You just saved the whole world with your matoi. That's got to be a record."

Galo didn't reply immediately. Then, "I… always thought that was how to best help people."

Lio's vision blurred a bit, but he blinked to clear it, studying Galo, trying to understand the turn in tone.

"Something change your mind?"

Galo just looked at him, his gaze heavy, and serious, and sad. _Wrong_. Lio squeezed the water bottle in his hands. What was crushing Galo's spirit, seeping into his confidence today? Was it the aftermath with the Burnish casualties? Or maybe he was bothered by the pathetic comments from that asshole Kray. Lio grit his teeth and tried to pull himself from that internal roar again. Because, Galo.

"I know what it's like… when things go wrong." Lio hesitantly offered, trying to feel his way. "With saving people."

Galo leaned forward a little, listening, a look of concentration on his face.

Lio lay back, looking at the far wall, exhaustion creeping over him suddenly as his mind wandered to an unhappy scene.

"You know all the Burnish you saw in the cave? We had just broken them out of the Freeze Force jail. And like your matoi, I brought them all together. Took them to the others in the settlement. We'd been there for a few months already, undiscovered, so I thought it would be safe." Tension filled Lio, bunching in his brows and shoulders. He took a drink of water to try to unclench his vocal cords.

"It wasn't your fault that you were discovered--" Galo began in earnest.

"It was!" Lio snapped with a sharp, fierce glare. Demanded silence. Galo unhappily closed his mouth as Lio again looked away and continued.

"They all trusted me to keep them safe. But there was one prisoner we released who doubted. He led the Freeze Force to us. Willingly." Galo gasped but Lio kept going. "I don't blame him. He was understandably afraid. That was _my_ failure. He saw weakness and lost hope."

Lio bit the inside of his cheek for a moment, then bitterly forced himself to admit to the consequences.

"And the whole settlement fell. The lucky ones were frozen and taken. The rest were carelessly killed." Lio leaned forward and pulled his knees tight to his chest, ignoring the pain in his ribs and pressing into them. Remembering faces.

"They died. I couldn't even fight for them," He pressed a palm over his eyes, jaw locking. "Because the one who turned us in took me out first. It took no effort. And then M-meis and Gueira had to surrender everything, sacrifice themselves so I could get away."

A hurricane of rage swirled inside of him, consuming him in payment for this failing which had cost others so much. There was a beat of silence.

Lio snatched his hand away and turned to face Galo head on. "That was on _me_!"

He forced himself to stare unflinching at Galo, to face whatever disappointment or recrimination he would see in those true eyes.

Galo just looked at him thunderstruck. Horror and sorrow imprinted in the contours of his face. Then a shift and his eyes flickered across different points on Lio's face, processing.

"So… you think people seeing your weakness means you can't _protect_ them." Galo said it like a revelation. Hearing Galo say "your weakness" made the chaotic swirl in Lio's heart more frantic.

"I _won't_ be weak." He promised, but even Lio could hear the fear in his own voice. He didn't have a dragon to call on this time. "I _can't_ , I still need to protect--" His throat cut him off.

Everything about Galo turned very gentle. Scooting an inch forward, he put his hands near, but not touching Lio. An invitation, not a demand.

His eyes were clear and deep, voice achingly sincere as he addressed Lio. "It's not weak to trust and rely on others. This isn't all on you."

 _Yes it is_. The savage counter-thought struck Lio like instinct. He wasn't sure which of Galo's comments it referred to, or both…

But there was yet another instinct that surprised him, a newer one, that said he needed to _listen_ to this extraordinary man in front of him, even if the words didn't immediately make sense. Because he was consistently able to show him something new. Something true to counter the darkness and lies.

And right now, leaning without invading, palms turned slightly towards him, Galo seemed to be offering something. As usual, his presence made Lio feel both weaker and stronger. He already knew all about weakness. What did that _stronger_ feel like if he explored it further…?

Something pulled him again, an echoing heartbeat. This time the feeble counter instinct was all too easy to ignore. Following the pull, wanting to be free of the swirling ache in his chest, head increasingly hazy, Lio lifted a hand.

A light lit in Galo's eyes and he turned his palms even further in welcome. But Lio's hand soared right over them and kept going, until it was skimming delightedly through the short, dense hairs of Galo's buzzcut and sinking into his thick, buoyant lengths. Lio reveled in the way there was just enough moisture still locked in the layers to give them extra texture that pulled at his fingers.

The light in Galo's eyes shifted to something quite different as his breath audibly stuttered in his throat. He reached up and clasped Lio's wrist, their faces inches apart.

Lio met his eyes and fell.

****

Galo felt like his insides had been liquified. And then heated to boiling, as a fine hand wove across his scalp and tugged lightly on his hair.

After the emotional devastation he'd just experienced hearing Lio's pain verbalized, the electric feeling of his hand was almost too much, like stepping into a hot tub that was a hair shy of scalding.

He automatically reached for the source, grasping the slender wrist by his temple.

But...

If he was going to burn, he'd do it at Lio's hands, he decided. Pulled that wrist and the body attached to it forward even more until he could see the way pale lower lashes rested delicately along flushed cheeks. And Lio kept moving forward, eyes closing…

…until he slumped forward completely, forehead landing on Galo's shoulder.

Galo blinked in surprise and glanced down, his cheek brushing against soft hair, warmth radiating through all points of contact. And it took a moment, but Galo's conscious mind suddenly kicked in and he realized the wrist he held was _actually_ too hot. The pulse felt thready, and the soft puffs of breath by his throat were shallow and more rapid than normal.

"I forgot I was supposed to be making _you_ feel better." Lio murmured weakly, slurring a few of the words.

Galo immediately moved the hand holding Lio's wrist to his shoulder and wrapped the other arm around his back, standing and gently laying Lio back against the pillows. Lio was once again unnaturally pale, this time with a harsh red tint painting a stark contrast across his cheeks.

Dread crept up Galo's back as he looked up at the monitor still displaying Lio's vitals from the wireless sensors attached to his arm and chest.

109 degrees F.

Lio was burning.

****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know a 109F fever is deadly (so does Galo). So, just hold on for more explanation in the next chapter.
> 
> Remi's lightning fast with his phone, you know he caught that laugh on film, too. Poor Galo. 
> 
> I wish we had gotten to see Lio laugh in the movie. I want to know what it's like. ._.
> 
> The headcanon I'm going with in this set of stories is that our Mad Burnish trio researched who they wanted to capture them, so the time, place, and manor of their attack was all carefully calculated to engage with BR3 in particular. There is more to it than that, but that'll be covered in the next story. ;) I like adding meaning to EVERYTHING.
> 
> Two chapters from now, we'll be at the halfway point (this fic got longer, oops)! Yay! :D Everything is going to get wors-- better! Thanks for sticking around! Please let me know what you think. :)


	4. Clearing the View

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sincere thanks to betas and anyone who has read this far! Especially if you told me what you thought! <3
> 
> Spectrospecs, couldn't do this without you. :)

Galo slammed the emergency call button, then doused his hands in water from the nearby bottle and wrapped them around Lio's cheeks, across his neck, and around the back of his head. Lio didn’t open his eyes or respond.

_Stay with me, stay with me, stay with m-_

Galo continued applying the water on his face, chest, and arms, pouring it in his hair, wondering why he wasn't sweating at all, until a nurse, a physician's assistant, and Lio's doctor hurried in.

"The next stage?" the doctor asked, but one look at Lio confirmed.

Galo was trying not to hyperventilate. "It says 109! His brain is dying!"

The doctor laid a hand on Galo's arm, trying to still his frantic ministrations so her helpers could take over. He ignored her for a moment, unable to stop trying to help Lio, until she held a cooling pack up in front of him. She gestured to the nurse and PA who had more in their hands and were ready to apply them. Strangely prepared, Galo realized, as he took a step back so they could administer this more effective treatment.

"This level of fever is not deadly, not for the Burnish," she hurried to reassure. "Not even now that their fire is gone. This was the most common symptom we've had to treat over the past couple days. Their bodies are going through major adjustments. But the Burnish physiology seems to have adapted to tolerate higher temperatures than our own, without suffering lasting damage once the fever goes."

Galo frowned, processing, feeling his legs wobble as the adrenalin eased. _He's not dying, he's not going to burn away…_ But instinct told him it wasn't as simple as she was stating.

The doctor glanced at Galo as she finished her brief diagnostic inspection, taking in his doubtful look. She nodded and spoke honestly, knowing his experience with medical aid and rescue work. "It's definitely uncomfortable for them. Normal fevers make us achy enough, these higher temperature makes it worse. We'll give him pain killers and a sedative with the fever reducers. We've seen it top out at 115F, and we'll definitely want to keep a close eye on it. Fevers can interfere with other healing needs, pull the body's resources away. We'll want to bring this down as quickly as possible so his energy can go where it's needed. He's still got a ways to go." The doctor fixed a contemplative look on Lio, and the crease in her brow gave away her worry.

Galo nodded and scrubbed a hand wearily across his face, trying to steady his breathing as the medical team finished documenting stats, applying cooling patches, and inserting an IV line again. With a final instruction that rest was the most important thing right now, the medical team departed.

The following stillness seemed unnatural, putting Galo more on edge as he looked at the silent suffering infused in Lio's face. With nothing but the steady beep of the monitors and the fading afternoon sunlight for company, Galo sat down again and slumped over the bed, resting his cheek against Lio's sheet-covered thigh and wrapping his hand around the one that had recently been buried in his hair.

The quiet seemed to taunt him with all the things he hadn't been able to say or do while Lio was still conscious. With a vulnerability that stunned Galo, Lio had shown him a glimpse of the intense inner pain coiled around his heart. And Galo had again been unable to offer comfort that was so obviously desperately needed. He squeezed his eyes closed as he gripped Lio's hand tighter.

Something buzzing broke through his inner turmoil. Galo straightened when he realized it was the phone in his pocket, and it wasn't the first time it had gone off.

Whipping it out, he saw 16 unread messages, a missed call from Meis, and six missed calls in the last 10 minutes from Gueira with a seventh incoming. He almost dropped his phone in his haste to answer.

Turns out the Burning Rescue team had made a quick stop to bring Meis and Gueira pizza, too, so Galo was put on speakerphone with many people yelling at him at once for missing an hourly check-in. Galo quickly apologized and gave them an update about the fever, repeating the doctor's earlier assurances about the lack of immediate danger. Gueira sounded tearful as he promised they'd come back in a couple of hours to take care of the boss in person.

"And you'd better not miss another check-in!" Gueira all but snarled. Then he paused and Galo could tell he had taken the call off speaker phone. In a secretive voice he said, "Really good pictures, though." And hung up.

For some reason, that eased a bit Galo's former distress. He wasn't alone. His lips quirked in a half smile. And at least someone appreciated his efforts. His eyes were drawn back to that sleeping face.

Seeing Lio's tension from the discomfort of his fever, Galo smoothed a cool hand over his forehead and felt a moment of satisfaction when it relaxed. He took a pic and sent it for good measure.

"A lot of people care about you," He murmured in Lio's ear. "You matter to us. We're in this together."

And Galo's frustration flared up again, realizing he didn't know if those were the right things to say, even if Lio had been awake. _What do you need?_ He bit his lip and felt his eyes sting, replaying again what Lio had just told him. So much pain bound up in this small figure, so much weight on those slender shoulders. And Lio just held on to all of it, afraid to release its impact on others. The destroyed look on his face had carved itself into Galo's mind. It was like all the heat and darkness and fury of Lio's Promare dragon was locked up inside of him, devouring him. For the first time, Galo began to understand why Lio had kept his physical pain a secret.

Galo had to figure out something to help this exceptionally brave person though. That kind of soul burning was destructive, and watching Lio suffer was a special kind of agony that he could not bear much longer.

The flushed face was once again twisting. Galo decided he didn't care about invisible boundaries right now. Rising from his chair, he gently slid his left arm under Lio's neck and shoulders, pressing his lips together as the almost-painful heat touched his scarred skin. But he kept going. Shifting the IV line to make sure it didn't pull, he climbed onto the bed slowly, watching for any signs that he was disrupting Lio's sedated slumber. In a confident, steady movement, he carefully scooped up the burning figure, easily fitting him into his larger embrace, seated in his lap. He rested a hand on the back of Lio's neck, keeping his face securely in the crook between Galo's shoulder and neck, and tightened his other arm around Lio's waist so they were chest to chest, Galo absorbing the waves of heat radiating from the slender torso despite the strategically placed cooling patches.

It was burning even through his shirt. But _it wasn't hot at all_.

****

Galo had sent two more updates but hadn't moved from his spot, content to just close his eyes and hold Lio. His colleagues would probably marvel at the thought that he could sit still that long. But it was the constant exposure to Lio's elevated temperature that became more difficult to bear. While his soul could ignore the heat, his body found it more difficult. Galo's skin had long gone completely flushed and it was all he could do to keep the sweat from dripping in his eyes. His body ached and his left arm throbbed in a way it hadn't since his scars initially healed. He knew it didn't make _medical_ sense to hold Lio, but he didn't consider moving away. Partially because he couldn't imagine leaving Lio to endure this alone, even if there was nothing he could do to help. And partially because this was the first time since Lio's injuries had resurfaced that Galo's heart felt even a little at ease. Because it was as close to Lio's as it could get.

And so he held on.

The next time Galo opened his eyes, the sunlight was completely gone and Meis and Gueira were in front of him, arms crossed, with intensely unreadable expressions. It took a moment for his muddled mind to clear. Lio was still slumped against his chest, cheek on his shoulder. The feverish body seemed to be carrying less tension than before, but it also seemed hotter. A glance at the monitor showed 114 degrees. For the first time since the fever started, Galo could see a line of sweat beading at Lio's hairline.

Without speaking, Galo nodded them over as he leaned forward. He carefully lifted Lio and scooted himself off the bed so the two Mad Burnish could take his place. He wobbled as he found his legs, a twist of lightheaded vertigo telling him he was definitely overheated. Gueira wordlessly provided a steadying arm until Galo was stable again. Then the two climbed on the bed, one on each side of Lio, winding their arms around their sleeping boss. They both looked exhausted and seemed to fall asleep as soon as their cheeks rested against soft, pale hair.

Galo shivered slightly as the air began cooling him down. His head hurt, and his muscles spasmed slightly as the ache of excess heat left them. His throat was parched. He could only imagine what it must be like for that heat to be locked inside of Lio's body, inescapable. And probably miserably unfamiliar. He hated that Lio's temperature had gone up rather than down, and now bordered at the edge of what the doctor knew to expect.

Shaking his head, Galo tried to stretch out his knotting muscles and not dwell on what he couldn't change. Grabbing a water bottle from a supply cabinet in the room, Galo glanced at the Burnish trio as he gulped the liquid down. He had never seen the three so unguarded. It was unexpectedly calming. And a rare opportunity. With a little mischievous smile, he took an update picture with all three of them together and sent it to his crew, letting them know he was going to rest, and would just update them if anything changed. Their responses to the picture, for once, made Galo grin in agreement. Especially Aina's long string of heart faces.

As he stood there looking at them, though, he felt like he was looking through time. Years of practiced trust and understanding was laid out in front of him. The trio's devotion to each other was unmistakable, and Galo felt a depth of respect for the two who cherished Lio so deeply. It also gave him a kernel of hope. A visual example of what was indeed possible. Despite a few implacable walls, these were people Lio had stayed with, would not leave.

_It is possible_.

And Galo never gave up.

He was still afraid of what was to come, and torn about what he could do to help. He didn't have everything figured out. But he would keep moving forward until he found a way. For now, as his body grew heavier with fatigue, hope gave him some peace so he could sleep.

****

Galo woke up with a jolt as something flopped onto his cot. Quickly scrubbing at his eyes as they adjusted to the early morning light, he saw that something was Meis.

"You drool in your sleep," the Burnish smirked.

"I know," Galo muttered, wiping his mouth and glancing over to see Lio, flush-faced but awake and coherent, looking at some papers with Gueira on the bed. His relief to see Lio awake was replaced by foreboding when he saw Lio's 116F temperature reading. But both feelings got whisked away as he noticed the look on Lio's face.

Lio was all glowing wonder layered with soft affection at whatever was on those papers.

Galo didn't know when his phone had gotten into his hand, but the camera app was already open and his finger rapidly pressing the shutter button.

Meis chuckled but didn't tease him as he, too, watched the scene with fondness, his elbow propped up on his knee and his chin in his hand. Then he sighed.

"We need your help."

Galo looked over at Meis in surprise. The Burnish's face had turned hard as he looked at Galo.

"We already went through updates with Boss and things are as good as can be expected." Galo was sure that was largely due to his and Gueira's efforts, so he gave an encouraging smile.

"But we got the list of the dead that have been identified so far. That scientist who broke the engine has made it her personal mission to document everything about the crimes against the Burnish, so this is going to be a thorough process. Boss was pleased to hear that."

All remaining traces of resentment towards Heris were erased for Galo as he heard that. The natural compassion he had felt when he understood her situation took over completely and he had to admire her resolve to face the aftermath head on.

Meis gave a small shake of his head at Galo's relieved look.

"He has a list. Of the dead. He's going to look at it after we leave and torture himself with it."

Galo felt the blood drain from his face. Meis continued.

"Don't let him do that."

"Why did you give it to him if you don't want him to read it?!"

Meis narrowed his eye. " _We_ don't keep things from Boss. It's one of the reasons he's as open with us as he is. It's a trust thing."

"So you want _me_ to get rid of it?" Galo felt a little offended at being asked to do the dirty work.

"No! Cinders and smoke, you are dumb. He has it, that's done. You need to find a way to keep it from becoming his own personal inferno."

"H-how do I do that?!"

"You figure it out. You're dumb, but you're not stupid," Meis grinned at him. Then the smile dimmed with introspection as he broke eye contact. "You have a way."

The _with him_ silent but potent.

Galo thought Meis was giving him too much credit, but…

"I'll give it everything I've got," he promised, hoping his sheer determination covered for any lack of confidence he felt.

Meis pursed his lips and gave a noncommital _hmm_. Then he grabbed the phone from Galo's hands, selected all the photos from a minute ago into a single album and sent it to the _Update About Lio_ list. With a final smirk he stood.

"Don't lose that good eye."

****

Galo was slightly envious of the look of gratitude and high estimation Lio gave the two as he approved their efforts so far and they departed for another long day. Their lingering goodbyes, though, had given him time to plan. No one would accuse Galo of being a planner, but this was serious.

Plan A in Galo's Extinguish Lio's Combustive Guilt initiative was to avoid lighting the fire entirely by distracting Lio towards something he would enjoy instead. Besides, Galo was curious about those earlier papers that made Lio's face do so many pretty things. So he asked.

Plan A backfired.

Turns out the papers were drawings some of the Burnish kids had made for Lio when they heard he was sick. As he talked about the children and showed Galo the pictures, Lio's face became so beautifully animated, a stunning combination of lively and soft, that it was Galo who became completely distracted.

Until the spark had already caught the kindling.

Galo was still in a daze staring at all the nuanced changes in the face before him, so he hardly noticed when Lio set aside the pictures. He definitely noticed when that face shifted to somber and felt a moment of panic when he saw the packet already in Lio's hands.

Galo tried to rush into Plan B. Ah, breakfast, the most important meal of the day! They should call for some, even if it was just hospital food. Lio didn't even look up at that as he slid papers from the manila envelope, replying that he'd already had breakfast while Galo was sleeping.

"But you should go get some," Lio continued, glancing up. "I'd like to review these alone, anyway."

This was not the plan! This was the opposite of the plan! What was Plan C?!

Galo had never been more relieved to see a nurse enter the room. The nurse moved to the far side of the bed where all the machines and medical equipment were, to begin a patient review. Lio had to pause as the man asked some standard questions, documenting his responses and the readings from the monitors.

In an act of sheer desperation to stay in the room and buy himself time, Galo hurried over to the nurse. He then insistently peppered the nurse with questions about what all the readings meant, with the excuse that he wanted to be able to keep an eye on things. _Anything to prolong the distraction._

Lio raised a brow at Galo's weird new interest, then went back to the pages of lists in his hands. _Argh, couldn't he just take them and... fling them out the window?!_

It was while the nurse was changing the IV tubing that he lost his patience with Galo's hovering. He started lecturing him about interfering with professional medical staff who were too busy to give him a crash course in medicine. It was because of this heated interaction that neither of them noticed the patient move until he was already wobbling unsteadily on his feet on the other side of the bed.

"Hey!" The nurse exclaimed, IV tube still in hand. He reached across and grabbed Lio's arm. "Where are you going?!"

Lio in nothing but hospital pajama bottoms and cooling patches, hair mussed, legs unsteady, face red with fever, several inches shorter than either of the other two men, still managed to look disdainfully _down_ at them with an invisible elegance as he tried unsuccessfully to jerk his arm back. He held up the papers still in his hand.

"I'm needed elsewhere. These aren't just the names of the dead. They're mothers and fathers, best friends, siblings, sons and daughters--and they're gone. They left holes. I need to go be with the people who were left behind. I owe them that much at least."

Unsurprisingly, the nurse only vaguely understood the context of this statement in relation to the Burnish's recent abuse. "I understand," he stated, in a tone that clearly said he didn't. He kept his grip on Lio's wrist. "But the dead aren't getting any less dead because you go out there."

Galo felt like the wind had been knocked out of him as those words broke across Lio's face. Then something shattered and Galo could see why the leader of the Mad Burnish had been considered an expert fighter, beyond his use of the flames.

With an efficient twist, Lio had his arm free and the nurse facedown on the bed. He then swooped across the room and was out the door before Galo had taken two steps.

To be honest, Galo didn't think he would have caught Lio if he hadn't had a debilitating fever and several days of trauma behind him. Lio was already at the end of the hall by the time Galo burst through the room's doorway, but he was holding onto a support railing, clearly fighting to stay upright. Galo didn't slow his run until he slid to a stop beside Lio, who had just fallen to his knees. Galo barely processed his look of strained anger and exhaustion before he hauled the petite frame over his shoulder in one smooth motion. He marched back to the room. The two people he passed scurried out of the way when they saw his face. Lio banged a fist weakly against Galo's back a couple of times before twisting fingers in his shirt and holding on.

"Leave." Galo commanded the offending nurse as soon as he entered the room.

The nurse swallowed at Galo's look, "But…" and held up the still detached IV.

Galo grabbed it from him and leaned closer.

"Leave."

The nurse scurried around the bed and out the door, shutting it emphatically behind him.

Galo flipped Lio off his shoulder in a carefully controlled move and made sure his head was supported as he lay it against the pillow. Lio didn't protest the position, as his fingers curled in the sheets and Galo could tell from his eye movement that he was experiencing vertigo. Galo silently reattached the IV line to the catheter still embedded in Lio's arm, grateful that it hadn't been torn out in the struggle. He glanced at the monitor and scowled when he saw 120F. This activity had obviously not been good for Lio.

Galo pulled the chair as close as possible to the bed, sat down, and braced his hands on his knees, elbows cocked to the side. He tried to ease some of the glare out of his face as Lio regained his bearings, because it mostly wasn't aimed at him. When Lio finally looked over, his own glare weakened by the lightheadedness he clearly still felt, Galo was blunt.

"And people say _I'm_ impulsive. Do you really think you'd be helping those people if you showed up there now, like this? Do you think that would raise their spirits?"

The rise and fall of Lio's chest sped up and his eyes became glossy, but he wouldn't let tears fall.

"I failed them, I'm not going to hide from that," Lio's voice was raspy. "I'm not a coward who won't take responsibility, who leaves them to face the consequences."

And in an instant, it was once again crystal clear to Galo how infinitely superior Lio Fotia was to the former governor of Promepolis.

"They _do_ need you. Which is why you need to take care of yourself. So you _can_ be there for them."

Lio turned and glared at the ceiling, hair fanning away from his face so Galo could see the tension in the graceful line of his almost-healed jaw. The lips tightly together, struggling.

"It's not fair that I'm here and they're not."

Galo knew they were no longer talking about the living.

"So invite them back to stay."

When Lio looked over, Galo lightly tapped a finger to Lio's forehead, then placed a hand over his heart for a moment. Lio's glare shifted to something vulnerably open at these touches.

"As long as you live, they're _here_. You're a home for them. Your life continues their stories, too."

Lio's eyes were intense and unwavering, absorbing Galo's words. Hearing him, but unsure how to accept.

"I'd like to hear those. Some of their stories. I didn't get to meet most of them myself."

He gently pried the lists of names from where they were still clenched in Lio's hand. He picked up a pen from the side table and smoothed the papers across one of the medical chart clipboards, ready to write.

"Tell me about them."

And Lio did. Vivid tales, anecdotes, impressions, Lio had something insightful to say about name after name on the list. There was no sequence to it, Galo just flipped to the right place in the alphabetical list when Lio mentioned a new name, and took down notes.

After the first few hesitant sentences, Galo glanced up and saw that the struggle to hold back tears was causing many of the pauses. Without saying anything, he turned his chair around and propped up his legs on the other chair, his back to Lio, still writing away. There was a longer pause and then Lio's voice flowed more smoothly, tension no longer holding back his vocal chords.

They continued for an hour, Galo occasionally asking a question back when a comment of Lio's would grab his attention. A picture was painted through this sprinkling of insights, of Lio and a network of Mad Burnish working across borders and cultural differences to establish, support, and protect settlements, masked as a bunch of gaudy, chaotic biker gangs. Of deeply shared experiences and the communities connected by them. Lio likely didn’t know all of the names on this list, but he knew many, intimately.

They were no longer just names on a list for Galo, either.

****

Galo asked for a break so he could send an update, and Lio was grateful. He couldn't tell if the ache in his throat was from the talking or the fever. Literally everything hurt in a way that made it impossible to ignore. His bones felt brittle. Joints on fire. Head squeezing behind his eyes. And every small draft felt like ice against his baking skin. How could heat feel like this?

He had been watching Galo's back the whole hour. First to make sure he didn't turn around and see the streams marking his cheeks, then because it looked strong and reminded him of that elusive feeling of strength he felt when close to Galo.

Also… it was really nice to look at the way the cloth stretched with his little movements…

It wasn't too bad to be draped over that back either, he thought now with a little thrill, delirious as he'd been. Remembering his return "ride" to the room, feeling solid muscle ripple through the shirt beneath his hand, he closed his eyes and his mind swam hazily between thought and feeling. He drifted into a familiar place inside, where ideas and connections became tangible.

_Safe was the first word that came to mind, like he'd been carried back from the edge of a precipice. And then a hand had held his as he walked down the mountain, fear, fury, and despair easing away with each step as he looked at the faces that drifted by--no longer accusing, they were greeting from beside the path, cherished parts of the journey. Some were walking alongside him still, their hands lending him strength._

"Hey."

Lio felt a cool hand hold his cheek. He forced himself to drag his eyelids open.

Galo's worried face swam into view, but he wasn't looking at Lio. His eyes were locked on the monitor. Lio moved his head slowly to look over and the numbers rearranged themselves a few times in his vision before 125 appeared. Then changed to 126.

Galo pushed the call button, then took Lio's hand.

"Stay with me, okay?"

Lio was confused. "Where would I go?"

Was that _his_ voice, trembling and breathy?

Galo just bit his lip and squeezed his hand.

Time was stretching around in strange ways, but there was a hospital worker now shifting the cooling patches and touching his skin, then pulling away quickly at the heat, looking troubled. When she realized he was watching her face, she gave him a practiced smile and said, "Hang in there, we'll get you better so you can go home."

Only those words made him feel worse, and a swirl of fear followed him down into darkness.

_There is nothing for him to stand on so he keeps falling._

_He doesn't belong here anymore. This place of connection. The flames are gone, so what is there to connect with?_

_But there is nowhere else, either._

_Just people. He drifts close to figures he can start to see, hazy, beautiful, glowing with colors, important. But he floats right through them. He belongs with them, but he's never quite_ with _them._

_And so they fade and fall and he cries and it burns and he's alone. And there is a glassy surface in front of him and he looks at it and instead of his reflection a dragon looks back, crying because it's alone and its fire is gone._

_But behind it, he can see something else. He turns to look over his own shoulder, and sure enough, there is a star that grows into a sun, flickering but soothing-warm and bright, winding a path towards him, leaving a trail of fire in its wake, a trail of fire leading to--_

And he was yanked up violently from the dream as cold _burned_ him alive and his whole being rebelled. Panic, as he realized he had no control, and there were voices around him getting louder. Familiar hands. And then darkness again.

_Everything just swirls in chaos after that, and it lasts an eternity. He's been locked here now, there is no way out. Equilibrium slowly, slowly returns and he has feet and they carry him along the fire path, which doesn't burn him. Voices echo from it, but one in particular is consistent and it's pulling him forward with the steady sound of a heartbeat._

****

Galo stared at the eight types of chips, nine types of candy bars, three bags of nuts, and four types of gum on display in the vending machine in front of him. Oh, and they had Poptarts, too. He wasn't quite sure why he was currently leaning against this shrine to unhealthy eating, other than to avoid friction with Meis and Gueira. They had taken one look at him and kicked him out of Lio's room with orders to not come back until he'd had a decent meal.

He'd had enough energy to make it to this floor's lobby, but he hadn't felt inspired to look further.

The doctors were no longer so blasé about Lio's fever as it had peaked over 130F. The only small blessing in the past several hours of fear and stress had been that Lio remained completely unconscious and hopefully escaped the pain for awhile. That is, until the doctor had determined the cooling patches were obviously no longer enough and ordered an ice bath. A tremor ran through Galo as he remembered the way Lio's body had contorted, the agonized scream as the frozen substance had engulfed his burning skin. The doctor had given him a powerful, fact-acting sedative, knocking Lio out again. Very slowly, things seemed to improve as the ice consumed the surplus heat his body was pouring all its resources into generating. Degree by slow degree, the temperature of his core went down.

Meis and Gueira had hurried back as soon as Galo reported the danger. It was a testament to the difficulty and delicacy of the challenges they were currently managing with the Burnish that they left again not long after Lio's temperature began to subside. Looking haggard as they departed, Meis had simply said, "This is what we can do for him right now."

They had returned that evening and the doctor had had a brief conversation with the three of them. She admitted she was concerned. Not that the healing process wouldn't proceed, but they could all see how weak Lio was becoming. She planned to consult with an expert and circle back with them the next day.

Galo could barely swallow past the tightness in his throat. He definitely wasn't hungry.

Except… a delicious smell began to invade his awareness. Looking wearily up, he saw Ignis walk into the lobby, two large paper bags in his fist. And if Galo wasn't mistaken, they must contain food from the best Chinese place in town, the one right around the corner from their station.

Ignis caught sight of him, and walked over. Without slowing, he put a hand on Galo's back and steered him away from the vending machine and over to the quietest corner of the dim waiting room.

Galo opened his mouth to speak, trying to summon the energy to give Ignis a full update, but his captain simply shook his head and handed Galo a massive order of his favorite chicken dish and a pair of chopsticks. They ate in silence for the next 10 minutes, and Galo marveled that he had enough appetite to eat the whole thing.

"Captain--" Galo began, but Ignis shoved a salad into his hands next and wouldn't listen to anything until the rookie had finished his vegetables.

For some reason, that did it. Galo clutched the salad like a lifeline and the dam broke, the first tears trickling down. Soon they were streams that flowed faster with each breath that caught in his throat. But as the tears blurred his view and each exhale fought free, the knot of anguish inside unwound into ribbons of grief that he was able to release.

Ignis just leaned back in his chair, giving Galo the space to let go. He placed a steady hand on his back, silently encouraging him to take his time. After a solid few minutes, sorrow ebbing and flowing as Galo replayed scenes he needed to process, the tears began to slow. Galo glanced at Ignis, who pointedly looked down at the neglected leafy greens. With a quirk of the lips that was almost a smile and a sigh that was almost exasperated, Galo obediently took the plastic fork from the container and methodically finished the whole thing.

Scrubbing an arm across his eyes, Galo sat back, too, feeling unreasonably better. His head was clearer and with it, the thoughts that were plaguing him sharpened.

"I don't know what I can do," Galo began. Ignis tilted his head slightly to show that he was listening.

"I don't know how to help if he doesn't want it. I thought I rescued him and then all this worse stuff is happening, and that's bad enough, but if, if he doesn't say what's wrong or what's hurting… and he's getting eaten on the inside. I'm trying, but I don't know what I can do."

Ignis nodded as he took the empty containers from Galo's hands and set them aside.

"There are different kinds of rescuing people, Galo. It's not always flashy or dramatic, and it's not always something you can do without their help."

"But… if they don't want--"

"What do we always do first when we approach a rescue?"

"Assess the situation," Galo recited back automatically.

"Right. And what if there's a lot of smoke?"

Galo thought a moment. "We have to use scanners and sensors to see what's really happening. Where the fire is, where the people are…"

"Yes. Sometimes you have to see in different ways before you can help. That coat," Ignis plucked at the sleeve of his Burning Rescue jacket and nodded vaguely back to the hall leading to Lio's room, "Hid a lot of injuries. Some hurting isn't going to be obvious, so you have to find other ways of seeing what is there. Behind the smoke."

Galo leaned forward and propped his elbows on his knees, brows creased. He pressed his mouth against his clasped hands.

"How can I see what is covered up?"

"Think about what he's told you, with and without words. What he's shown you in actions and between the sentences."

Galo closed his eyes and a composite picture of Lio began to take shape in Galo's mind, a collection of the words and expressions Lio had shared. Points of pain stood out like heat spots on a thermal scan.

The destruction of home, which echoed in Galo's own heart. Constant persecution. An almost unbearable need to protect his people. Guilt. Rage. Fear. Not for himself, but…

Galo opened his eyes as the picture crystallized.

Ignis continued, "Most hidden things don't form overnight and they aren't resolved that way, either. It's something that needs to come from within the person themselves, and all we can do is help give them a clear path and a hand to hold. Deeper things take time. Are you willing to be there for that?"

"Yes." Galo stated without hesitation.

"Well then. What do you think Lio needs to have a clear path?"

"He needs… he needs to know that." Galo looked at Ignis now. "That we will be there in this way for the things _he_ needs. He needs to _need_. I mean, it sometimes looks weird, but he cares about people _a lot_ , and fear for _them_ made him think he couldn’t need for _himself_. Like, he sees his own needs as not important or even as a weakness," Galo began sorting invisible things with his hands to illustrate, "And weakness, especially his own, is basically failing to protect those he cares about. Does that make sense?"

Ignis smiled. "Yes. And at the same time, absolutely not."

Galo nodded. "Right? He thinks he has to hold everything up alone. But it's not even that he doesn't _want_ help, he doesn't know it's _okay_ to need it."

Ignis gave Galo a look that made him feel warm.

"Sometimes avoiding weakness means we lose out on strength." The captain concluded. "Finish your rescue now that you see past the smoke. Show him how much stronger he can be. Maybe we'll all get through this."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ignis. <3 
> 
> Also, Galo, you're just the best.
> 
> Next chapter… gets us to the mid point! Which means realizations and shifts in the character arcs! Also new stakes for both Lio and the Burnish at large.
> 
> So, I started responding to comments here (will get caught up), and it was really fun. :D I mean, for me. Y'all have to put up with my vague rambling, but I guess that's just a sacrifice on your part. :P This is pretty much the only place I get to geek out about this stuff, so I've enjoyed the kind, encouraging enthusiasm from folks who like this kind of content. That said, it occurred to me that people may have some critiques that they don't feel comfortable calling me out on right on the story itself, and I don't want to miss out on honest feedback I can learn from or at least acknowledge. Or you may just want to say something more privately! So, feel free to DM me on Twitter with anything-- @akadoreengreene (not my real name, haha, I just like Squirrel Girl)  
> I may not enjoy blurting out my thoughts in 240 character or less very often, but I do like having conversations with people.
> 
> Editing chapter 5!


	5. Don't | Hands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weeeeeell, it's been awhile. There was a lot to work on across the whole next part of the fic, and I kind of had to do major chunks of it at once, rather than a single chapter. But the next ones should be coming pretty regularly now. :) Thanks to the extraordinary dedication, patience, and encouragement of Spectrospecs, beta reader extraordinaire.

Lio was aware that he was awake, and it was the poorest decision he had ever made.

His eyes peered into the morning light, trying to make sense of his current terrible existence. He was lying on the bed in a shallow inflatable bath packed with ice rapidly melting against his skin, and it was the worst of both worlds. He ached from within and without as the two conflicting temperatures fought for dominance. He could hear the rapid clinks and slushing as the ice shifted against itself in time with his shivers. He appreciated for a moment how much the Promare must have protected the Burnish from the effects of temperature, because this unfamiliar sensation felt all-consumingly bad.

He was far, far too exhausted to speak or move, but panic was beginning to build as he lay locked in ice again. His eyes darted around the room frantically, until they fell on his doctor and Galo talking a few feet away. Lio somehow remembered Meis and Gueira had been there while he was out, so their absence must mean he was doing better, even if it didn't feel that way. 

The powerful lines of Galo's back were not as straight as usual, his shoulders slumped forward. He looked so weary, it gave Lio a whole new kind of ache. Still, the edge of panic eased and that tentative-strong feeling filled him again as he looked at his dedicated companion. He started piecing together meaning from the conversation in front of him.

"--normal?"

"No. Even with the recent Burnish fevers, the temperature levels and duration were nowhere near this. Those have usually been their bodies trying to adjust their own internal heating processes to more normal levels. This is like his body wants to be getting hotter. The fact that even with ice it's fighting hard enough to stay at about 120 defies the boundaries of physiology. Not sure how to explain it, but should hopefully have more info to go on soon."

"It was…" Wow, Lio couldn't get two words out without losing his breath.

"Lio!"

The other two quickly moved closer as he tried again, taking a deeper, intentional breath, straining against the shuddering cold pressing on him.

"It's probably--" The air was gone again so he dragged in some more. "--linked to being in the dragon." He had to take three more shuddering breaths before he could think of summoning another sound. Galo cut in first, looking worried at Lio's labored breathing, hands raised in a calming gesture.

"You don't have to explain," he spoke in a hushed tone, as if urging Lio to silence.

Lio would have scowled, if he had any energy to direct his own face. It was an effort to keep his eyes open. Instead, he sent the ferocity he felt but couldn't visually express to his voice and continued anyway.

"I made it in a v-volcano." He choked on a small cough as the cold air he was pulling in contracted his burning lungs. Galo opened his mouth, expression strained, and Lio must have managed some kind of glare because he shut it again. Lio tried to pull in a deeper breath, ignored the sting in his lungs and the way his heart fluttered unnaturally, and immediately continued, "It definitely pushed my body--" Release, inhale. "Beyond anything normal--" Release, inhale. "For a Burnish." Lio fell into a pattern of shallow, soft panting as he accepted the relief of finishing his sentence.

Galo looked to the doctor in distress, gritting his teeth, clearly asking her to do something to stop Lio from continuing.

The doctor glanced at Lio's vitals monitor and seemed to make a decision. Instead of silencing Lio, she asked for clarification.

"So, you were _inside_ a fire for a period of time?"

Galo jumped in to answer, frowning at her, "Yeah, an extremely hot one." He stated the obvious in irritation.

Lio wished he had the dragon right now so he could remind Galo just how hot he could make things if someone tried to _restrain_ or _silence_ him.

"And it was inside me. _I was the fire_." Lio said pointedly as he made deliberate eye contact with Galo. He was sure it would have been intimidating if his voice wasn't so thready. Galo just returned his stare, admonishing, and not backing down. So Lio shifted his gaze to the doctor and ignored the stubborn firefighter. He had to pause for breaths still, but he had figured out how to get through his sentences now. "At the time--I was basically--okay with it if they--consumed me all the way--as long as it worked." He paused for a moment, then particularly avoided Galo's gaze as he admitted, "It was excessive--I guess this is the payback."

He could feel the effects of pushing it, as his head swam and his pulse flickered irregularly in his throat. The ice somehow seemed to grow colder and sink in deeper. He clenched his teeth to keep them from chattering but could still feel his jaw trembling. He could tell Galo was looking at him and probably seeing things he couldn't hide. He didn't want to confirm that, so he continued to stare at the doctor instead.

She finished writing down a few notes and then gave him an assessing look. "For now, at least the current temperature isn't permanently damaging. That said, I've reached out to what experts we have on Burnish physiology, to get a better read on your situation overall."

Lio assumed that meant she was worried. He thought if he felt better, he might be worried too, but was too miserable to care at the moment.

"Lio," she lowered her clipboard and focused full attention on him. "I do want to be fully honest with you. I already explained this to Galo, and the concern he's expressing is valid. Your body is at its limit, and that means everything is in a very vulnerable state. Especially your heart. It's had to survive a lot of strain, and we've already had to start medications to keep it steady and ease the load." She nodded to the IV. "It was… having some trouble while you were unconscious."

Lio blinked and glanced at Galo who was now staring at the floor in a pose that looked too much like defeat to be natural on the Galo he knew. Trying to ignore a flicker of regret, he pulled his eyes back to the doctor.

But he didn't know what she wanted him to say.

She seemed to understand, and clarified her expectation, " _Don't push yourself_. There isn't much more we can do for you until this fever passes. So take it easy."

"I don't have much choice, do I?" Lio responded with the shadow of a frown. In demonstration, he pushed as much as he could against the ice that locked him down. It barely shifted.

"I'm glad you understand the situation," she said with a little gallows humor in her tone, seemingly impervious to Lio-glares. She gave a final promise to check in soon, and departed.

He tried to hold onto the feeling of irrational anger, but it melted away like the ice, replaced again by misery. The world was still swimming. He didn't feel quite present. Like part of himself was still in the other place, where things connected and thoughts became real--sometimes too real. The view of a familiar path and the view of his hospital room overlapped and made his head spin. He needed an anchor. He wondered if the one next to him was still mad at him.

"This does not feel good."

Galo barked a laugh, collapsing into the seat next to him. "No, it doesn't," he said, lightly poking a finger at Lio's cheek in a move that could only be intended to annoy. "Hah. I think that's the first time I've heard you admit it, though."

Galo propped his cheek in his hand, his eyebrow raised, his small smile at Lio exasperated and fond, but tinged with sadness.

Lio frowned slightly when the smile once again did that pull-thing inside him. It made him stumble forward on the path, which still hadn't faded from view. He pushed back with his heels, refusing to be led who knew where.

So he looked away from Galo and turned to his own thoughts which didn't lead him anywhere pleasant, either. He knew he deserved this payback for creating something like the dragon, and it was made all the worse by the fact that he hadn't even managed to free anyone with it. It had been a failure through and through. The only thing that had kept it from being an irreversible disaster was…

Lio glanced back at Galo and felt a new surge of fury when he saw he was on his phone, no doubt sending an update to everyone. Lio _hated_ that everyone knew every new weakness that came up, and when had he even found an opening to take a picture?! He hoped Galo had the decency not to when he was like this.

"Don't _do_ that."

Galo looked up as Lio growled at him. Paused. Then casually thumbed the send button while returning the phone to his pocket. When Lio's glare darkened at him, Galo pressed his lips together. Then took a very intentional breath in, pressing his hands together with a look of resolve.

"Does it... _help_ to talk about the dragon thing?"

Lio heard the _why were you fighting me?_ implied. But Galo also had a knowing look, like he had already figured out why and was trying to get Lio to think about his own actions. Which was _irritating_.

"Because we can talk about it... _carefully_."

"There's nothing to talk about."

At least breathing had somehow gotten a little easier with practice. The path began moving as he imagined himself stomping down it, trying to get away. The movement was dizzying, but the contrast was a relief to his inability to move physically.

Galo just raised a brow.

"It's bothering you."

It was _annoying_ the way Galo saw everything he _wasn't_ saying.

"You were there, you already know everything." _Mr. Know-it-all_.

"Obviously I don't."

It became difficult to speak again, but he pushed it out. " _I don't want to talk about it_."

The thought of revealing more about that horrible part of himself set off a wildfire inside, and it took the shape of a dragon consuming the pathway ahead, promising unending pain, returned from a past he was trying so hard to move past. It was dark, it was ugly, it was anguish. He didn't want Galo to see, hated that he had already seen what he had.

Some monitor was beeping and the room was swirling and Galo was now standing with a look of panic and remorse.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, we don't have to talk about it--" He placed a hand on Lio's head and Lio could feel it shaking. "We won't talk about it." He promised.

Lio had his eyes clenched shut against the nauseating swirl and it was all he could do to focus on breathing.

"We... won't talk."

The broken tone in Galo's voice instantly tore a crack in Lio's heart, and his eyes flicked open as he tried to control his gasping breaths. They stopped for a moment at the look of crushing despair on Galo's face.

No, no, no, that wasn't supposed to be on Galo's face, he was the precious hope that shone in Lio's soul--

The part of Lio that was on the path reached back immediately to comfort-- he was startled as scared words echoed back in Galo's voice. _Let me help. Don't hate me or I can't help_.

Of course he didn't hate Galo. This was about his own weakness. Surely Galo knew that. After all, he continued to be able to see it no matter what Lio tried to do.

So, he realized in a moment of clarity, the only way to make up for showing that kind of weakness in the first place was to double down. He glared at the dragon on the path. No wildfire would defeat him. He'd walk right through it and _burn_. If he couldn't hide this from Galo, he'd just have to own it. Fully.

With that resolve, his heart and lungs seemed to find their own rhythm again.

There was a raw satisfaction in facing up to judgment.

"What don't you already know about it? The dragon?"

He wished his voice sounded stronger. It just sounded vulnerable, which was not the direction he was trying to go with this.

Galo obviously hadn't expected this turn and didn't answer at first. Lio _hated_ the scared look on his face. Galo shouldn't have looks like that.

The dragon on the path growled in fury--or was it panic?--wanting to consume. Galo's eyes were drawn to the vitals monitor, and they widened as he straightened and once more brought up placating hands.

"Okay, okay, um..." He looked like he really regretted ever starting this conversation. "Well, I was thinking about it, and it didn't seem very... _you_."

"It _was_ me. At my worst." _Look at how ugly it is_.

"No, I mean..." Galo stopped and tried to collect himself.

He sat back down slowly, eyes becoming focused and intensely thoughtful, never breaking from Lio's. He was fully invested in this moment. Cautious, direct, and caring.

Much better than the fear and despair. It immediately became one of Lio's favorite Galo-looks.

…

He had favorites?

Before Lio could float away with that thought, Galo's voice brought him back as he began explaining.

"I don't get the timing or why-- I mean, it didn't seem, um, strategic. Don't get me wrong, I love just going for a goal." Galo held up a resolute fist and Lio's lips twitched, eyes flickering with amusement and the dragon seemed to shrink just a bit. "But you know how to be smarter about stuff. You said Meis and Gueira had made sure you got away. The dragon didn't seem… planned. Very well."

Galo paused, watching him carefully.

Lio closed his eyes for a moment, trying to build reserves to face this. Because Galo was right. And Lio deserved to be called out.

"You… were really upset."

Galo's tone of voice drew Lio's eyes open and back to him.

...

It was...

... _concern_ rather than recrimination.

"You were crying."

Familiar barbs of shame tried to dig in, but slipped strangely off when the compassion in Galo's eyes declared the statement an act of caring rather than an accusation. A request for understanding.

There was a whisper in that inner place of connection where part of his consciousness still hovered on a pathway. It had started to glow with its own fire. _Let me in_.

Lio shivered from more than the ice. He planted his feet more firmly on the trail, now knowing where to begin forming his wall.

"I was living fire." Lio's voice was tight. "I wasn't crying."

He tried not to give any ground as Galo's face filled with a burning intensity, that searing firefighter's soul, focused on him like a flamethrower. A disorienting combination of searching and conviction.

"It's okay to cry."

Lio barely heard the words before they glanced right off. His body was still locked in cold-combating tremors, but his face was unmoving as he said nothing. Inner hands still pressed resolutely against a wall of flames, solid as iron, holding it strong.

"Actually, it really helps."

Helps who? Lio didn't even blink. This pathetic attack couldn't make a dent.

A look of frustration drifted across Galo's face but the clouds suddenly parted with the brilliance of his grin. Lio's eyes widened. He felt like he'd been flipped upside down, fingers scrabbling against a now unstable surface.

"I cried just yesterday!"

He said it with such contradictory pride and satisfaction. Lio's hands were no longer holding up a wall at all, they were pressed against something much warmer. Galo had phased right through.

What… was he supposed to do with such good-natured, confident vulnerability?

Lio's breath caught for a moment as it sank in and summoned an image of that shining face, instead in tears. _Why had Galo been crying_? That was just _wrong_. The dragon now stood beside him on the path and began gathering a fireball of energy from a whole bundle of upset feelings bleeding out of Lio at the thought, their eyes narrowed looking for a target, but…

He hadn't earned the right to ask about Galo's tears when he was denying his own. His heart clenched, the dragon fizzled, and he had to look away to keep from reaching out.

But there was also no wall left to push against. There was just… Galo. Who had been crying, and suspected that Lio had been, too.

"I… was upset." Lio conceded at last. When Galo didn't reply, Lio looked back over and saw him patiently waiting.

For some reason that made _him_ feel impatient, and he huffed a sigh, continuing in annoyance. It seemed to help stabilize his voice and breathing. Took the edge off his fatigue.

"I may have… oversimplified my explanation before. I didn't exactly get away so much as get sent where Freeze Force couldn't follow. And they figured I was as good as dead, I'm sure."

"Wait…"

"That ice bullet really did work. And I got shot into a volcano, so just ended up locked in a giant block of ice being fueled by the lava's heat. I couldn't even _try_ to access my own at first."

Galo was staring at him, his face had become pale and tense. "And you… survived that? For how lo--"

"I left my people in the hands of a monster for a week." Lio didn't need a wall. Returning fury made him rigid and unmovable.

Galo broke eye contact and flinched back an inch. Lio could easily read the understanding and grief in Galo's face as he now saw the full picture of what Lio had experienced. He looked back at Lio, devastated.

Somehow, impossibly, that sent a tremor through Lio's inner iron-flame and he was the one phasing through this time. Approaching the one who was now sharing his sadness. And more words came tumbling out.

"I wasn't dead, but I wasn't alive. I was just…" He couldn't easily describe the sync space, with its internal projections. Even though right now he seemed to be stuck again, at least partially, in whatever memory of it remained with him after the Promare left. On a trail that led nowhere anymore.

"Dreaming. It was cold and furious." The ice currently pressed against his skin bit deeper.

"It felt _endless_ , I needed to get to them but I was trapped, and time wouldn't _move_." Panic began to clutch at his throat and his limbs tensed as he remembered he couldn't move now, either.

"And then there was screaming and I felt all the captured Burnish suffering." The path he was on exploded and the dragon shrieked and everything was wildfire.

"Because I didn't-- couldn't--" Somehow there was no air left in his lungs to continue, and he was burning and frozen at the same time. His vision blurred, memory and reality blending, indistinguishable, and he was terrified. He needed to save them he needed to find them and save them he felt some of them die and he wasn't there to give them fire and bring them back and they were dying they were dying let them GO STOP KILLING THEM--

He was locked in a firestorm, raging and spinning around him, and there was no way out.

Then a pinprick appeared in the center of the swirling chaos that was his vision. It slowly expanded to the pace of a rapid heartbeat, clearing away everything except one image.

It was that sun. No--his mind moved from the internal place to the stark reality of the hospital room. It was Galo.

He didn't know what Galo was saying at first, but he looked more afraid than Lio had ever seen him. His hands were wrapped around Lio's face and he was frantically saying _something_.

"--eathe! _Breathe_ Lio!"

It took him a minute to realize that he wasn't and another to remember how, and then he was gasping in as much as he could, but it didn't seem to fill up his lungs all the way. His vision went dark for a moment and all he could feel was the air scraping through his throat. Slowly colors bled back in, but all of his energy seemed to leak out. The path was rippling and the room was swaying side to side, jerking strangely in time with his irregular heartbeats. They kind of hurt, he realized, but it was a detached thought.

He couldn't seem to hold on to a thought, though. He was aware that there were other people there for a minute, but he wasn't sure if it was true. He watched them do something with his IV, but he wasn't sure if he even had his eyes open?

The first thing that seemed real, after the swaying and the jerking finally settled down, was the sound of unsteady breathing. Could he turn his head to look? It took a few tries, but he finally managed.

And then everything snapped into clear focus with a sting.

Galo was crying.

He gripped the edge of Lio's bed, head bowed, but Lio could see the drops falling, see his shoulders shaking, hear the hushed, irregular gasps.

Lio tried to sit up but of course it didn't work.

The ice made the slightest sound, though, and Galo's head jerked up, and this was Lio's least favorite Galo-look, he decided. Galo shouldn't have to cry.

"Don't." Was all Lio could whisper in horror.

What did this?

What had they been talking about?

Galo swiped an arm across his eyes to clear his vision. He gripped the edge of the tub, but didn't move to touch Lio.

"It's okay, it's okay, you're safe. Everyone's safe." Galo rushed to reassure. "You're safe."

Of course he was, Galo was here.

But Lio wasn't the one crying, so shouldn't the comforting be the other way around?

"Are _you_ okay?" It only came out as a whisper.

Galo just looked more pained and dropped his face for a moment, his hands clenching tighter.

Lio tried to piece together what happened last. He thought he was interrupted. Yes, he hadn't finished explaining. He hadn't told the most important stuff. Galo didn't know the worst stuff Lio had done, and that would help him realize how important it was that Galo had stopped Lio. How much he had _saved_.

He'd get angry at Lio, but Galo liked saving and rescuing, so understanding would make him feel better.

"Making the dragon was extra bad because--" Lio began, still only in a whisper no matter how much air he tried to push past his vocal chords. But then Galo's fingers were pressed against his lips, face set in panic and horror.

" _Don't_."

Lio blinked, puzzled.

"You don't need to say _anything_. T-try not to think about it, so you can rest."

Galo obviously didn't understand. As soon as the fingers pulled back, Lio tried to clarify. "You don't know why it's so bad yet, I haven't told you yet--"

"Please, _please_ , just rest, we'll talk later--"

"Can't rest until you know, so you can be angry _now_ , I don't want it later."

"I won't get angry, I promise!"

"I don't believe you."

"I _promise_."

" _I'm_ angry."

Oh no, something was prickling at the edges. He tried to swallow it back. The path started trembling. It helped when Galo finally reached out a hand and stroked his hair, eyes full of kindness and grief. When he spoke, his voice had lost the panicked edge.

"That’s okay. You can be angry." Lio felt his throat unclench. "Just don't let it eat you." The stinging in his eyes eased as that soothing hand continued to brush steadily through his hair. "Here, I'll hold onto it for you so you can sleep. Then we'll deal with it when you wake up."

Galo held up his hands, cupping them. Lio stared at him, at them. Then gave a small nod.

"Alright, just for a minute."

He closed his eyes, concentrating. He scraped together the fury and fear and grief and pain and they fused together into a dragon of ever shifting fire. He imagined the dragon pouring out of his own heart and winding its way to Galo's hands, curling up inside, somehow managing to fit. Those hands were large and strong and capable and could probably save anyone. Even a dragon.

As the bad things drained away, his consciousness quickly followed. He let it go with a sigh.

*****

Lio opened his eyes and felt a surprising sense of clarity. He glanced at the clock and realized it was still morning. Yet he felt completely different. Calm.

But his body was worse. Every breath hurt. He hurt in places he didn't know existed.

He looked over to his companion. Galo was slumped in a chair, dozing fitfully, listing dangerously to the side. The very picture of exhaustion.

Lio could still see the slight puffiness around his eyes, evidence of earlier tears and he hated thinking of Galo hurt enough to cry. But his anger had no more fuel left, so it couldn't burn. Instead it _clawed_ , sinking sharp points through layers of his chest and holding him pinned.

Galo didn't deserve this grief. Galo was the one who stopped him from causing the harm. He deserved to know. To _understand_. It would make him feel better, Lio was certain. So when he woke up, he'd finish the illustration that Galo had no way of seeing completely on his own.

In the meantime, Lio just had to live through this, one agonizing breath at a time. Wearily, he summoned the mental image of the path again, now flickering like an ember's glow. Began to plod down it. It made things easier to imagine he was moving. Pretend he had some kind of agency. Only a couple minutes passed before he had to pause even there, the exhaustion growing too acute. How long could this possibly go on? There was no fuel left for this fire.

And it was lonely.

Not even the dragon was here anymore. Just the endless monotony of pain. He tried to imagine the voices that used to fill this place, so strange, but so dear they weren't strange at all. Nothing. Fear gripped him as he wondered if he'd forget what they sounded like as time went on. In dread-filled desperation, he listened instead for the echoing screams that had flooded the space, chasing him. Even they remained silent.

There was no one.

The claws crept up his face, digging into his eyes, and set them prickling dangerously again.

He heard movement next to him and forgot to do things in the right order. He looked over first and met Galo's eyes before remembering to smooth out his own face. And then it took longer than it usually did. Because here was _someone_.

Galo let out a shaky breath as he drew closer and put a hand to Lio's forehead.

"Don't do that. You don't need to hide what hurts. Although," Galo withdrew and dropped his face into his hands, the next words sounding more pained. " I understand why you would." The self-recrimination was evident.

That wasn't right, things were still tangled, Lio decided. He needed to explain.

"I need to tell you the rest."

" _No_." Galo's face came up and his eyes traveled over Lio's face, tormented.

Lio paused at the resistance.

"I look… bad?"

Galo swallowed. "You're… very pale." He seemed to lose the ability to remain upright as he leaned an arm against the edge of the tub and rested his forehead on it, a terrible tension locking his back and shoulders. "I'm sure it didn't help to be _forced to relive torture_." Galo's voice was raw with self-directed fury.

This didn't make sense. Galo should be angry at _Lio_ , not himself.

"I want to tell you the rest."

"Don't." A single choked word. He didn't even look up.

"You're the one who saved us. You should know why that was so important. I did a bad thing. I'm not the victim here."

This seemed obvious to Lio, but apparently he needed to state it.

Galo's face rose in absolute incredulity. Then he rubbed a hand across his eyes and began in a strained voice, "I know _all_ the Burnish were victims, but you're one of them, and you definitely--"

"I mean the Promare."

He still wasn't used to that word. He wondered how _they_ would feel about the name. Lio hadn't had the chance to ask…

Lio took advantage of the fleeting look of confusion on Galo's face to rush ahead of any further objections.

"When the Burnish were all hurting, the Promare felt it, too, and that pain made a bridge that they finally crossed into me. Pulled all the ice out and replaced it with fire. And fury. We were aligned in our rage. We wanted to destroy the one who was hurting us all."

Galo got a strange look in his eyes. Dark and dangerous. But it didn't seem pointed at Lio for some reason.

Then to Lio's complete surprise, Galo plunged his hand through the pooling ice and wrapped it around Lio's. His palm was a small area of his body, now freed from the pressing cold, but it was such a _relief_ , he couldn't continue speaking for a moment.

But Lio's hand was burning and the ice was cold, it would be painful for Galo before long. So he made a feeble attempt to pull it away. Galo's fingers only squeezed tighter.

"I will listen," Galo promised, his eyes taking on new fire, "If you promise to _stop_ when I ask. If it's getting dangerous. Your health is more important than anything else right now."

Okay, then.

Get through this quickly.

Galo would definitely let go of his hand once he knew all.

"The Promare... All that life, all that pain, and they came to _me_ for direction. To, to tell them what to do and fix it and stop the hurting. They _trusted_ me."

Galo's face still hadn't changed from it's look of compassionate grief, listening. His thumb began to rub the back of Lio's hand. Lio tried to ignore the sense of comfort he knew would soon be removed.

Get this over with.

He took a breath, willed his heart and lungs to remain stable, his voice even, so they wouldn't get interrupted anymore.

"They found me. They let me go. And instead of soothing their pain and tempering the anger we shared, I released it, in pure destruction without really caring about the consequences. I selfishly ignored my responsibility to them. To the Burnish, and Meis and Gueira. To all of humanity. I just let go."

For some reason Galo hadn't let go. His hand continued to soothe, making it both harder and easier for the shame-filled words to come out.

Hurry and finish.

"It doesn't really matter where they came from, I've always known they were alive, at least, and bound to us because they needed our help. They're _innocent_ , you know. The Promare need to burn, desperately, to _live_. They aren't killers, they don't have malice. They rely on us humans, sync with us, in order to understand how to act here, the implications. To interact with and translate for our world, despite the… language gap."

Lio closed his eyes and gave a shuddering, bitter chuckle. "Unleashing them in a rampage is the opposite of good diplomacy. They came to me in trust, at their most vulnerable, and all I gave them was rage." He then locked eyes with Galo and spoke with conviction. "They are _living_ fire. There _is_ something deeply wrong--not just with killing, but with using _their lives_ to kill, if there is any other choice. _Burnish pride_ is taking responsibility for all that power and _protecting_ the life on both sides."

Galo, inner fire mirroring Lio's own, nodded with immediate understanding. Lio realized this firefighter with all his rescue-oriented sensibilities understood this concept instinctively. Protecting was the principle he lived his life by as well. Only, _he_ didn't let his weaknesses overcome him.

"You, who knew none of this, were the one who saved them. Made me remember, found a way to _help_ , rather than destroy. You... wouldn't have had to do that if I hadn't completely failed everyone."

There. Now he knew. Galo had had to clean up Lio's mess, even though Lio had _known better_. Lio had certainly earned his resentment.

"I can't believe you..." Galo started, haltingly.

Lio held his breath and tensed, waiting for his hand to be released back to the cold emptiness, for the disgust he felt to be reflected back at him in blue eyes. At least Galo would get the satisfaction from knowing he was even more of a savior than he had thought. He had rescued the Promare, too.

Lio by instinct brought up more clearly the path he had never really left and prepared his hands to make a wall for whatever Galo chose to throw at him. Only, there was a contradiction, because Galo was still _holding_ one of his hands in the hospital room. It created a confusing disconnect, trying to make a wall when there was a hand held through it. And then Lio realized a wall would defeat his purpose, of owning the consequences and facing up to whatever Galo wanted to unleash at him. So he dropped the attempt and stood there defenseless.

"I can't believe… you were able to hold back from destroying the city, with all that. The fury and pain and everything, of all the Burnish _and_ the Promare, all channeled through you? Your own grief and worry all built up and trapped like that nonstop for a _week_."

Galo seemed unable to speak for several beats, a hand covering his eyes. But they were clear when they looked back at Lio. Took on a glint of grim directness.

"I've experienced first hand a lot of Burnish fire. I know it's hard for the Burnish to create flames that don't harm. You had enough fire to burn down the city, but you _did_ hold back. You didn't kill the people in your way. You focused everything after just the one target who was continuing to harm the Burnish. Focused on freeing them. It may have been a blunt way to do it, but you were trying to _save_ , not just kill. Even the Freeze Force agents! You let them go despite everything they did to you and the Burnish. I _felt_ those flames, Lio. Your spite was never hotter than your compassion. They just got tangled together."

What was… How was _that_ what Galo was taking away from this? He wasn't looking at the big picture. This was far too kind of an assessment of the situation. No, he wasn't going to allow Galo to let him off that easily.

"I _was_ trying to kill Kray with the fire, in the end. And… and anyone could have gotten caught in that blast. And with the Promare… it would have... broken... something more."

Galo lifted their joined hands out of the ice. Didn't say anything to contradict Lio, but wrapped his other hand around the back of Lio's, completely encasing it between his palms.

"I'm glad... I was able to help you then. And as terrible as it was... I'm glad it brought us back together. "

_This_... is what Galo returned for all the ugly Lio was showing him? He held on tighter?

Lio didn't know how much more he could take, being thrown for a loop and redirected. He was getting confused. Despite how firmly he had planted his feet on the path, he felt like the trail itself was being redrawn.

"Y'know…" Galo seemed to consider and then make a decision. "I _wouldn't_ have known that you needed saving like that if you hadn't told me all that Burnish pride stuff before. What you thought. What was important to you. So when I saw you hurting, I could understand. I knew how to save you because you had told me. About you. Enough so I could figure it out, what you needed. How I could help."

Yes. That conversation in the cave had sprung from such a strange, irrational hope. To believe that someone like Galo might understand… But for some reason, he _had_ hoped. And though he hadn't known it at first…

"You... listened."

"And I always will."

The promise in that took Lio's breath away.

He was standing on the path, now unpredictable. There were no walls.

Just two hands holding his.

It...

felt...

... strong.

The trail inside, so familiar he could walk it without thinking, changed. Without him telling it to, it split into two.

One was familiar. It was stark but solid. Solitary, but he could see exactly where he could anchor his walls, create protection and hide what needed hiding. Temporarily pull in and shelter those he needed to defend. A battlefield trench.

The other… he could only describe as vague. Full of mists and strange forms. Like a bog, he had no idea which spots were firm enough to walk on or to support a barrier. The hands still around his were tugging him towards it, though, asking for trust in the unknown and the indefensible.

He jerked back in panic. This wasn't right. Where had he gone off track? He needed to go back to an earlier point so he could find the right trail again.

"You... shouldn't have had to--None of it should have even happened in the first place," Lio emphasized. "I should always have been with Meis and Gueira and the Burnish."

His feet had indeed found an earlier spot on the trail, but… it didn't seem as firm anymore. He raised the hand that was still free and hastily felt around for the place that needed a wall.

Only now he paused even in that because… before… when he'd gone off track… the walls had caused problems, hadn't they? When he had fallen to his anger… _Galo_ was the one who had protected against that weakness. Had set Lio on the right path again. It was only because Galo had stubbornly broken _through_ the barriers he'd constructed that things had turned out alright.

Fighting Galo, building walls, had been an act of destruction, too. He had been fighting against himself.

He felt a tug on his hand again and looked over his shoulder at that second mystery path. It was… a confusing complexity. The cognitive dissonance was more than his pain-filled, exhausted mind could resolve at the moment. The uncertainty was agitating.

"I should _always_ have been with Meis and Gueira and the Burnish." He repeated, but it was now like he was trying to convince himself of something he thought he had _known_.

Now Galo did contradict him.

"That wouldn't have been very helpful. They trusted you, and made the right decision to help you, get you out of there."

And on the path, the hands that still hadn't let go _pulled._

"I should have protected _them_." Lio insisted stubbornly. This he _did_ know.

Galo's expression shifted between too many things for Lio to follow, but ended on affectionate exasperation with a decidedly determined edge.

" _Lio_. It's a _good thing_ they did it the other way around. If _you_ had been captured then, I bet nothing would have stopped Kray and the Parnassus would have succeeded and all of us would have died including _all_ of the Burnish. It's because they saved _you_ that you were able to save them back and we're all here right now."

Lio stared wide-eyed at the incredibly simple summary. But… it wasn't wrong.

_Pull._

He felt paralyzed, not knowing how to continue. He shifted anxiously under the ice. Futile. He was trapped and couldn't lift himself if he tried, as weak as he was. But that was becoming something of a trend, he realized bitterly as he looked back along the old track. Encased in ice. Encased in fire. Encased in an engine of pain. Now he was frozen on a pathway he no longer understood.

Except, now that he looked, from this vantage point… an undeniable detail added itself to those pictures of his own imprisonment. Summoned, they flew forward to surround him. Each time, when he was trapped, at his weakest, his most helpless… someone had been there.

He looked closer.

When Absolute Zero ice left him defenseless before his enemy, Meis and Gueira had made sure he was free, trusted him completely to do the same for all the Burnish.

_The hands pulled. He stepped forward._

When he had been trapped in an eternity of frozen anguish, the Promare had found him, sought him out as their trusted first source to save them and those they were bound to, given him what he needed to break free.

_Pull. Step._

When a fire of his own making consumed him, helpless in his rage, Galo had pulled him free. Not just from the physical fire, he had broken through the fury and reminded Lio of who he was. And then Galo had shouldered the burden _with_ Lio to actually save his people. Despite all the dangers and problems, standing _with_ Galo, he had never felt weak. Or afraid. Or alone.

_Pull. Step, step, step._

When his own impulsive actions to attack Kray had gotten him captured and again practically doomed them all, and he was completely powerless before the worst monster he had ever known, locked in pain… Galo had pulled him free again. Even back from death.

_Pull. Step._

These friends had saved _him_ repeatedly so together they could save the Burnish… and then their people had been able to band together to save themselves and everyone. In the end, he had asked for their help, for the Promare's help, for Galo's help, and finally together they were able to save their precious world.

_Pull. Step. Halt._

Why had he thought the path was… empty?

_The strength to protect his people_. That was it. His people, his friends, _were_ his strength. He hadn't been alone. It was because they had been able to trust each other that they were able to protect each other.

He had been able to call on their strength when it meant saving everyone _else_. In resisting their support now, for himself, was he actually... doubting them? Was that shield he tried to be on their behalf… a wall that made him weaker?

Even now, trapped in his own body in a hospital, rather than turning away they leant him their strength in a thousand ways.

What should he be doing in return? Certainly not doubting.

He should be used to this by now. Galo showing him new things. But it was still short-circuiting his mind.

He realized that, step by step, he had ended up on that strange, foggy new trail. But it wasn't dark at all. Bewildered, he saw it had its own light. Like fire. It was a beautiful, bright white and teal, and it raced forward, burning away the fog and revealing that the strange forms were people. People his heart _knew_.

In the hospital room, a relieved, triumphant look was spreading across Galo's face as he watched Lio, seeing barriers fall as he stopped resisting and processed _._ And it vividly called another memory to Lio's mind.

The _amazing_ smile of victory Galo had worn at the end of their first encounter. It had thrown Lio off more than he could admit at the time. But he had known without a doubt that he wanted this man to remember his name.

Lio had _defeated_ the firefighter, stripped him of all his weapons and armor, had him at sword-point, helpless and "naked" on the edge of the building. A fate that would have enraged Lio. But Galo had grinned up at him. Because he knew he had won. Because he had a team that he trusted even in his own weakness to protect _him_. And that was his strength.

A strange sense of relief filled Lio as _understanding_ began to release him from the need to fight. But with that relief, weariness returned like a heavy blanket. He tried to fight it for a moment, because he wanted to finish figuring this out.

Galo's hand broke Lio from his reverie as one of them released its hold on his hand and instead gently pushed back his bangs, smoothing the tension from his brow. Lio looked up and saw an expression of such kindness and understanding, he almost crumpled.

"It's okay to take a little time. I'm not going anywhere."

Everything swam in front of him as Lio gave a little nod and closed his eyes, exhaustion winning the moment again. But this time in his dream, he landed right on the path of fire and walked forward, a warm hand in his own.

*****

He knew a considerable chunk of time had passed when he next opened his eyes, because the natural light was almost gone. Also, he was being lifted from the ice bath and he couldn't help an audible sigh of relief.

"115 and dropping," Galo told him, and he looked as relieved as Lio felt in being free of that icy prison. Galo turned his back as the hospital staff changed Lio into a dry set of slacks and reapplied the standard cooling patches under a wrap-around shirt.

But Lio was deathly tired. He couldn't even help them get his arms through the sleeves. It was like every drop of energy was gone.

They got him settled and left. He tried to piece together the conversations from that morning. At first they were jumbled until he realized he remembered vividly each of Galo's faces, and followed those expressions like a map through his recollection.

As he got to the end, he came to a tentative conclusion. He had a new path. And he wasn't alone on it. There were people to help him--who wanted to help him _personally_ \--if he would actually let them. And that was… strong.

He didn't know what that looked like, though. Letting them help. What did he even need?

Galo had settled once more in the chair next to him. As if by default, he took Lio's hand again, then seemed to freeze when he realized what he had done. He stared at Lio, waiting for a reaction. But Galo didn't drop his hand. Lio gave his fingers a gentle squeeze, the best he could manage at the moment. Tension melted from Galo's frame and he gave Lio a wobbly smile and squeezed back. Lio focused on the feeling of contact against his palm and almost fell right back asleep, it was so comforting.

But he didn't want to sleep, that was beginning to feel like its own prison. It was hard to resist in his current position, though. He was on his back with no strength to push himself up. He tamped down on the frustration he felt at being so helpless.

Okay… so… he did know something he needed right away. Maybe… he could get Galo's help. See how it went. And figure out how to go from there.

"I want to sit up," Lio stated. Then cleared his throat a little to get rid of the raspiness and hesitation.

Galo smiled and nodded. "I think that should be fine. Doc didn't say anything about staying down."

Lio closed his eyes. How could this man be so brilliant and so stupid at the same time?

Lio scowled up at Galo, who got an even stupider affectionate look on his face. Steeling his fragile new resolve, Lio clarified in a small voice: "Will you help me?"

He was almost blinded by Galo's over-the-top joy at being _asked_ to help, but it quickly dimmed as Galo seemed to process how weak Lio must be to not manage it himself. Lio tried not to let that look of sorrow get to him.

"Always," Galo said quietly. Then immediately rose and sat on the bed. Lio's heartrate picked up slightly as Galo slid an arm around his shoulders, lifted, and leaned Lio's exhausted body propped against his strong, solid chest and shoulder.

Oh. This wasn't so bad. Was this what he had been missing out on?

Galo arms reached all the way around him to set up the pillows, creating an embrace. For practical reasons, he was sure. It seemed to take longer than Lio would have expected. That was fine, he didn't think it could be more comfortable than his current resting place. He could feel his cheek heat up where it rested against Galo, secretly savoring, and he decided not to think about it too much. He was _trying_ to figure out how to accept physical support, after all. This was… this was just good practice.

But it seemed even the most conscientious pillow-fluffing could only last so long, and Lio felt Galo sigh as he finally leaned Lio away until he was fully situated against the cushions. Galo carefully moved his arms back, maintaining contact for as long as possible. Making sure Lio was capable of remaining upright, clearly. Galo didn't quite make eye contact as he finally let go, looking redder than usual, probably from exposure to Lio's remaining fever. Lio missed his warmth, but he was relieved to be sitting up again.

And not a moment too soon by Lio's estimation, as Meis and Gueira walked into the room. He didn't realize he'd been holding onto a thread of anxiety in their absence until seeing them brought a new wave of relief.

Galo straightened and scrubbed his hand against his flushed cheeks, hopping up off the bed.

"You guys need rest," were the first words out of Lio's mouth to the two.

"Aww, he cares," Meis cooed sarcastically.

"However bad we look, I guarantee you look worse," Gueira raised an eyebrow, arms crossed.

"How is that even relevant?" Lio asked, frowning.

They just rolled their eyes at him.

Lio scrunched his nose. This was hard. But he… _shouldn't_ dismiss their concern.

"I'm better than before," and he flicked his eyes to the monitor holding steady at 114.

They did look a little cheered up, at that. They revealed they had brought ice cream bars, which seemed to excite Galo. Lio couldn't help feeling the same at the thought of such an unexpected treat. What would they _taste_ like?!

Until the reality of his situation sobered him.

He was just about to turn them down with an excuse since he didn't think he could lift his arms to eat, but he paused, mouth twisting.

_Try. Don't doubt them. They_ want _to help. They brought these for_ you.

He took a deep breath.

"I... I want one." He set his jaw stubbornly.

Meis got a look of surprised delight for an instant that settled to an honest smile.

"Well that's why we got them. Aina says these ones are the best."

"That girl has good taste," Gueira grinned, then darting his eyes over to Galo, corrected, "In most things."

Lio cleared his throat.

"I will need help. My arms, um..." He trailed off uncertainly, not knowing how to ask.

Meis and Gueira just stared at him. He could feel the vulnerable regret enter his expression. They didn't want to hear him ask for help, they were probably horrified that the boss they followed had gotten so _pathetic_ , this was a mistake--

And suddenly the bag was on the floor and two sets of arms were around Lio, faces pressed cheek to cheek.

"Boss learned how to use his words!"

"No more endless guessing!"

Meis and Gueira lifted their heads to talk over Lio.

"We'll still need to be sneaky about certain things--"

"--because of course--"

"--and he's always more stubborn in front of others--"

"--right, we'll need to do private check-ins--"

"--he'll probably still forget important things, like eating--"

"--sleeping--"

"--medical care, obviously--"

They both rolled their eyes.

"--but if he actually says something--"

"--with actual _words_ \--"

"Hey!" Lio cut in.

They paused in their glee and looked down.

"Where's my ice cream?"

He tried to glare but his face was being less responsive than normal. He had a feeling it came across as more of a pout.

All hell broke loose after that, as a three-way battle ensued, only to be resolved two destroyed ice creams later (fortunately not anywhere near Lio) as they decided to take turns feeding him. Even though he was tired, the antics lifted his spirits, and he could feel his mind fully clearing at last. It was wonderful to feel fully present again.

And just in time for _ice cream_.

He drifted up into a little happy cloud when he tasted his first bite and decided it was good he was still alive. The cold actually felt good as the dense, silky ice cream melted and eased some of the ache from his throat. The flavor was sweet with a slight edge of saltiness that made the vanilla even deeper. And it was covered in _chocolate_. Dark and crisp and bitter and potent, a perfect complement to the smooth cream. Who had made something this wonderful?!

Upon opening his eyes he faced three cell phones and looks of intense concentration.

"Definitely this hour's update."

"Already sent it."

"Take that, stupid Remi with your dishes..."

He really, really needed to get new friends.

"You guys have some, too, though," he demanded quietly, eyeing the bag to gauge if it still had enough for all of them. He really wanted Meis and Gueira to experience this, too. They could take turns having bites of his.

That earned him a hair ruffle and the revelation that there were in fact 10 more ice creams. The Burnish knew to stock up on something good when they had the chance.

After they had devoured all of them (Lio only had room for two, the others had three a piece), Meis and Gueira somewhat reluctantly got down to business when Lio began asking questions.

"The old man with the implanted tracker--" Lio began.

"The traitor." Meis stated without making eye contact, voice cold.

"You shouldn't waste your energy on _him_." Gueira ground out.

Lio paused. He knew they had a different take on that situation than he did. Still.

"You moved him to a safe place?" Lio asked with an edge of steel in his voice. He had made this request yesterday after it occurred to him that the man might not be safe around the other Burnish who had suffered by his actions.

"Yes. He's safe whether he deserves it or not." Meis concluded. "In _important_ news…"

Mostly good reports regarding the Burnish already in the temporary housing, but the news from outside Promepolis was somewhat more disturbing.

On the not so bad end of the spectrum, there were Burnish from the region who had made it to the border of the city, but were being detained in tents outside of it while the city tried to process them in. This mostly involved a lot of bureaucratic squabbling that was an annoyance to the Mad Burnish more than anything, and they mostly had to focus on keeping security and humane conditions in play. Some families separated due to Freeze Force raids had already been reunited.

The news from further abroad involved a range of scenarios. Some Burnish were fine staying where they were, some were looking for support in getting to Promepolis to seek lost loved ones or a larger protective community. The name Lio Fotia held a lot of trust, and many local Burnish leaders were looking to him to set direction.

There were some decidedly disturbing cases, though. Of Burnish groups being hunted down to "pay for their crimes" now that they were defenseless, or dictatorial governments insisting they come in and be registered and held for "observation". Naturally, they were wary and practiced enough to go deeper into hiding, but they now refused to travel to safety unless Lio himself came for them.

Lio began to see some of the bigger problems of having everything run through him. He also realized he'd created this specific problem by offering the solution of shelter and then being too out of commission to see it through. He'd just have to find a way to face up to it and take care of it now, no matter how he felt… he would not dump this burden on anyone else, he needed to fix this problem himself. Whatever it took.

They were probably scared. In danger. Didn't have enough supplies...

He was so tired.

Meis and Gueira were frowning now as they watched Lio's face, and Galo looked on the verge of saying something, when two new occupants entered the room.

Lio's doctor wasn't unexpected, but Heris Ardebit was a surprise.

As conflicted as he felt about her role in the Parnassus disaster, a pang went through him at the change in her appearance. Pale face, dark circles under her strained eyes, hair that hadn't been washed in days. He wondered if she had slept at all. He also noticed that she was wearing a tracking anklet.

Her lips thinned as they landed on him and took in his weak state.

"I've asked Ms. Ardebit here so we can discuss Lio's medical case with the insight that's been gathered from some of the foundation's research." The doctor began. No one needed to ask which foundation. The tension in the room skyrocketed. "Lio, is that acceptable to you, and with present company privy to the information?"

"Yes."

"Right." She took a breath. "This is quite the unprecedented case, so we've had to try to piece things together from a variety of evidence sources to draw any kind of diagnostic conclusion--"

"English, doc!" Gueira interjected, impatient with the buffering, and Galo nodded in agreement.

The doctor straightened further. "We're worried that the energy required for this process may be more than is physically possible to handle."

Three were left to puzzle through this to the logical conclusion, but Lio figured it meant she was concerned he wouldn't survive at all.

"So… what does that mean exactly for Lio?" Galo asked. He looked like he was trying to stay calm.

The doctor turned to Heris for additional context.

"There was far more Burnish research going on than I was aware of until this situation. Which is terrible," Heris rushed to affirm, "But it also means there is some insight we can apply to this case. Unfortunately, I can't go straight to the researchers directly involved with the Burnish projects because they have disappeared--"

"What?!" The three Burnish in the room were instantly livid.

"Ch-chief Sideros is investigating, and it _is_ strange and troubling… people don't just vanish…" She stopped talking, brow creased in deep thought.

"And Lio?" Galo prodded, hands on hips and leaning forward impatiently.

Heris nodded and rushed forward. "What I do know is that healing takes energy, and for the Burnish in the engine, they were drained of a source at the same time their bodies were having to fully take over processes that were formerly symbiotic with the Promare."

Galo looked a little lost at the explanation, but Meis and Gueira nodded knowingly and Lio's gaze sharpened on them. He knew it hadn't been easy for them, either. Plus having to manage everything and take care of him...

"Fortunately, with whatever the Promare did when they left combined with the Burnish's naturally adapted fortitude, they have been able to recover well, for the most part. There were some, as you know, who had suffered greater injuries, and these are the ones I've been trying to understand and assist with. To help them but also to document." Her face radiated grim determination.

"Using some of the tech developed in the Burnish research, I've been able to assess the physical energy load required during their healing. There were two who exceeded their supply. One has slipped into a coma. The other... didn't make it."

The room's occupants paled at her blunt announcement.

"It's impossible to know all the factors that were in play in the two different outcomes, but I'd say strength of will was definitely part of it."

The doctor cut in, "Lio, you seem more drained than any of my patients so far, and your injuries over all have been and likely will continue to be, highly taxing. The human body only has so much fuel, and when it's gone…"

"So what are you going to do about it?" Meis' face was hard.

"The past couple of days, I've been working on an intravenous formula that more quickly resupplies the body's cells with fuel than natural processes achieve." Heris stated. "It's… something that was already in development for other reasons. Currently, it's not very refined, but it may help. It's not been thoroughly tested, of course, so we don't know all the implications, but the former experimental data is promising. The formula has to be highly tailored to the individual, though."

So, it was highly risky whether he did it or not.

Still, doing something was better than doing nothing, Lio figured. He was tired of being tired, and dying wasn't an option given the situation he still had to fix with the Burnish.

"What do you need to get started?" Lio asked, earning himself sharp looks from his lieutenants and Galo.

"I'll need to do a scan to get your unique energy readings, and a couple of blood samples."

"Go ahead." He directed decisively.

Heris had brought some kind of hand scanner that looked like a baton, and she began passing it over Lio. The others present peppered her with questions about the risks of the treatment. Lio mostly tuned them out, as he was still thinking through a plan for the stranded Burnish.

Heris kept a carefully neutral face as she looked at the initial scan readings, and drew a blood sample. No one looked happy as she gave a final nod and packed up her supplies.

As she took a step away from the bed, Lio's voice stopped her. "Is there anything you can do right now in the interim? Anything you can give me? It's okay if it's not perfect, just something to hold me through the next few days so I can travel and…" Lio tapered off because he wasn't sure he was going to last the next hour based on the murderous glares Meis, Gueira, and even Galo were giving him. He didn't think he'd ever seen them so furious. Certainly not at him.

"What the hell, Boss! We're not letting you kill yourself," Gueira stated, seething. In the background, Galo was firmly ushering Heris and the doctor out. They both looked relieved to avoid the confrontation.

"I'm not going to die from something like this," Lio insisted, all stubborn will and dismissal.

"We can figure out a better way to help those in hiding without you having to--" Meis began, but Lio impatiently cut him off.

"No, they said they need me, so--"

"They do!" Gueira was yelling now, "And so do we!"

"Which is why we're making sure you actually stick around and get what you need!" Meis glared. The two stood shoulder to shoulder by Lio, a glaring and unmovable wall. Galo had folded his arms with a stern look, clearly standing by their side.

"It's… it's not about me…" But Lio could feel himself hesitate. Something about that rang hollow now.

"Sometimes it is." Lio didn't know exactly what that was in Galo's expression, but it hurt. Like _Galo_ was hurt, and disappointed.

The larger man then sat right on the edge of the bed and swung a knee up so he was face-to-face with Lio. Reached forward with no hesitation and wrapped his large palms around Lio's cheeks, cradling his face and requiring eye contact. Meis and Gueira's brows had gone up and Lio's eyes were wide, barriers temporarily down in surprise. When Galo spoke, Lio could feel a great weight in the simple words.

"We need you. And you need us. No, what I mean is, you _can_ need us. _Should_ need us. Completely. Especially if it means... We get to keep needing you."

Yes, hurt. There was hurt in Galo's eyes. And in Gueira's and Meis'. Had he put that there?

"If you don't let us help _you_ , we can't help _each other_. We can't face things together." Galo spoke with quiet intensity, leaning forward so their faces were that much closer. "Through spark and flame, I've got your back," he repeated his promise from a few days before.

And in Galo's eyes Lio saw the trail, a bright path, a hand holding his… he _didn't_ want to wander it alone. He wanted to hold the hands back and not let go anymore. But that meant spreading his dangers and weaknesses to them, that was selfis--

Lio took a small breath as a truth came through, as clear as Galo's blue eyes. He was scared of needing a hand to hold, but… didn't that mean the other person got a hand to hold back? It… wasn't possible for it to only extend one way, was it?

Could he be there for them if he didn't allow them to reciprocate? Their actions said no. They already _were_ there for him, constantly, he could recall all the examples in an instant. But he was fighting them again. Why?

The pain in their eyes declared how his rejection impacted them. This caring was a two-way street. A _requirement_ if he didn't want to isolate himself.

He was making the weaknesses _worse_ by shutting them out.

Maybe… he needed their strength _in order_ to protect them.

Maybe.

On _their_ behalf…

He could be a little selfish.

It didn't make sense, but… it did?

Relief. Grief. Confusion. Clarity. All wrapped up together, expanded in his chest. Something _broke._ At last.

He didn't have to hold everything alone.

He didn't know whether he wanted to smile or cry.

Underlying everything was a feeling of strength that didn't crumble when he began to release his fears and anxieties onto it.

It was strangely, wondrously, easy to believe in _their_ strength even as he was doubting his own.

He closed his eyes and leaned forward just a bit until his forehead rested against Galo's.

"Idiot. Why do you keep saving me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm. The dragon scene (KAKUSEI!) is one of my fav scenes in the movie, same as everyone, but it's also pretty tragic. So, that's emphasized here. But I don't love having the dragon be only a negative icon, so I'm planning to use the concept in a specific way in the sequel that will hopefully create more of a positive association. I have too much cute Lio-dragon merch to be satisfied otherwise. :P
> 
> Also, I’m really sorry I made Galo cry twice in as many chapters. :’(
> 
> I know I throw a lot of dense content at you, and that's just how I write. It's not for everyone. So thanks for making your way through all of it, I can't believe some of you have mentioned reading it multiple times (sounds exhausting :P). I dunno what it is, but I swear, it was on days where I was doing a big writing push that I would randomly get one of your comments, and that was just really encouraging. Gets me out of my own head sometimes to remember there are people actually reading this. It's a long journey, but lovely to have your company along the way.
> 
> Next chapter should be up in the next week. You'll finally get a (partial) explanation of one of my weirder head canons for this fic, that may have you looking at previous Lio/Galo interactions in a new way…?


	6. Always | Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eternal thanks to Spectrospecs for exceptional feedback. As a beta reader, she really elevates this story.
> 
> Last chapter was a turning point. Now how does everyone respond?

Galo almost did it. Almost went with his first instinct, as he usually would have.

Foreheads touching, their lips were inches apart. He could feel Lio's soft breath ghost against his mouth as he asked a ridiculous question.

"Why do you keep saving me?"

And Galo had no more words, so he just wanted to _show_.

He tilted his head slightly, eyes lowered. Began to angle his face even closer, pulse picking up in anticipation…

But it was the question itself, the fact that it was asked, that stopped him. It showed how far there was to go before that instinctive gesture would be understood. Accepted? Welcomed?

And once that spark of a clear thought singed into his mind, his own conscious confusion flared into focus because _why was he thinking like that again what did it mean did Lio also feel the pull_ \--

Galo jerked back suddenly, eyes wide. His hands shifted instantly to steady Lio who had begun to fall forward in surprise. A couple of indignant sounds from behind him reminded Galo of another good reason not to go with that _almost_ instinct, because Meis and Gueira were _actually still here._ Hands still wrapped around Lio's upper arms to hold him up, Galo snapped his gaze over his own shoulder and saw the two Burnish were indeed glowering and moving to intervene. He was quite certain they would have ended his short life if he had gone with _almost_.

As it was, Gueira gripped his shoulder a little too hard, pulling him back further from Lio, and Meis gave him a foreboding eye while taking over supporting his boss.

"Thank you, Galo, and now that we've cleared up that it's unacceptable for Boss to go on a suicide mission, we can move on to _constructive planning_." Meis carefully leaned Lio back against the propped up pillows, shifting his glare from Galo to give Lio a look that demanded acceptance of these terms.

Lio, still looking dazed and drained, but thoughtful, nodded after only a moment of hesitation. He opened his mouth, then paused. That thoughtfulness took a turn. He got a look that Galo was not comfortable with at all. Especially since it was aimed at him. He might describe it as crafty. Also really attractive. _I'm doomed_.

Noticing the change in Lio's expression, Meis and Gueira exchanged their own look. As knowing smiles began creeping over their faces, Galo's sense of doom only intensified.

With some obvious effort to move his arms, Lio drew his hands together, interlaced his fingers, and rested them in his lap with a small smile. With how pale and drawn he looked, the strains of pain and fever still imprinted in the curves of his face, this should have seemed a docile posture. Resigned, even. His simmering eyes said the exact opposite. Galo felt his heart speed up a tick at the spark of challenge in that look, summoning a heady adrenalin.

"Following your good advice, Galo, I think I _need_ a few things first."

Meis and Gueira both crossed their arms, now fully grinning at Galo, the spark having leapt into their eyes as well. He swallowed.

"I'm a bit cold." Lio began, smile falling away and chin lifting. "What can you do about it?"

The first thought that came to mind was definitely _not_ the one he should act on. Galo cleared his throat when Meis and Gueira narrowed their eyes at him. He felt a little queasy wondering what they had seen in his expression. Lio was calmly waiting, though, with an expectant shine in those breathtaking eyes that made focusing in another direction very difficult.

Then that shine slid a smile onto Galo's face, too, as he fully processed the situation. Felt the thrill return. For the first time in too long, the gaze didn't hold hurt, exhaustion, fury, or grief. A moment of relief melted through his heart as he saw Lio with a kind of energy he'd barely been allowed to glimpse before.

Lio was in a playful mood. Setting up a game of all things. A game for _him_.

His excitement shot through the roof.

 _Yes_! There wasn't a game that Galo couldn't win. And if it meant Lio got to have some actual fun…

Galo grinned wider and Lio's eyes seemed to glow from within as Galo engaged with the challenge. He would play with everything he had to see that light continue.

" _Well_?" Meis quipped with a shooing motion while Gueira pretended to check his watch as if he was timing Galo.

Lio was _cold_ , eh?

"Be right back!" He called with enthusiasm as he bolted out the door.

He knew well where the nursing station was by this point, and was on a first name basis with several members of the fine medical staff assigned to this floor. He skidded to a stop, hands coming down on the counter in front of Lucy, one of the nurses most sympathetic to the Burnish patients. A confirmed fan of Lio's once he had told her the full story. She looked up with a smile and a raised brow.

"Nice to see you've got some of your energy back," she said. "I assume he's doing better, then?"

Galo nodded then got to the point. "He's cold! What d'ya got? I don't think he needs heating patches, so…"

"How about an extra blanket?"

"Yes! Good idea! What else? A hat? Scarf? Gloves??"

"Sweetie. This is a hospital, not a department store. We do have a hat, though. And something warm that will work as a scarf." She rose and got all three checked out from the supply room.

She had barely handed them over before he took off, yelling a quick "Thank you!" over his shoulder.

He was going to win this. Show Lio how great it was to get help for what he needed. Make it easy to keep asking.

He dashed back into the room, holding his trophies aloft. From the looks of it, Meis and Gueira had been pressing Lio for details, but Lio remained in serene silence.

"One warmer Burnish Boss, coming up!" Galo declared and confidently stepped forward.

But he froze in his steps as Lio launched him a look so sharp he was sure it would slice him if he got closer. Kept him pinned for a moment in suspense. Even Meis and Gueira didn't look like they knew what to expect. Gueira rubbed his hands together in anticipation, though, before Lio finally spoke.

"Come to think of it, maybe I'm not the one who is cold." Lio shifted his eyes to Gueira, who froze with a shocked expression at being singled out. Lio tilted his head with a look both chiding and affectionate.

Meis just laughed and placed a commiserating hand on Gueira's back, shaking his head like _we should have known_. Gueira finally half-grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head in confirmation. Lio returned his pointed look to Galo.

"Ah!" So… this wasn't _just_ a scavenger hunt. Galo nodded to Lio and handed the bundlings to Gueira, who tossed the hat and scarf on the side table with a scoff, but gratefully pulled the blanket around his shoulders.

"Thanks, Boss." Gueira's grin was touched with shyness at receiving such attentive care from their leader.

"You're calling Galo 'boss' now, eh?" Lio kept his tone gentle as he teased in intentional misunderstanding. Guiera choked, horrified. Meis snickered and continued to pat him on the back.

In sympathy, Galo tried to turn the attention to something else. He rushed on with the game, trying to adapt to the change in play.

"Are _you_ cold?" Galo asked Meis, to cover his bases.

"I'm good for now," Meis confirmed in some amusement. Galo wasn't sure, but he thought he might have earned a point from Meis for subtly shifting the attention from an overwhelmed Gueira rather than teasing him further.

"I'm rather thirsty, though," Lio stated. He smiled innocently at Meis and Galo.

It was Meis' turn to freeze. He gave Lio a slightly unnerved look that said _how did you know?!_

Lio gave him a very sarcastic look in return, brows raised and eyes flat.

Galo looked between Lio and Meis, then grinned back at Lio who simply raised his brows even further.

Meis rolled his eyes. "I can get my own--"

Galo was a fast learner. He was out the door before Meis could finish his sentence.

This time he got Lucy to give him a whole armful of water bottles, plus another two blankets. And some vitamins. And pain killers. And energy bars. When he wracked his brain for anything else he might be able to bring back, she sarcastically slapped a brochure of all the hospital's services and supply locations on top of the pile, rattling off some of the features, and told him to prepare an order beforehand next time.

Okay, he was definitely going to win this round now that he knew how to play. He marched into the room in full confidence and emphatically dropped the whole armful on the side table.

Lips slightly pursed, Lio raised a brow at him, waiting to see what he would do next. A look of both challenge and anticipation.

Galo immediately forgot what he was doing.

There were _other things_ he suddenly wanted to be doing.

Um.

He looked in front of himself again and the sight of his supply pile reminded him of the current goals. The game was definitely not over yet! He couldn’t lose focus just because his opponent was so… naturally _distracting_! Holding on to his competitive spirit and not that… other feeling… Galo avoided looking at Lio again for the moment and focused on the other two Burnish. Who were giving him unimpressed looks, slightly edged with warning, as they observed his flustered distraction.

He picked up two water bottles and energy bars and held them out to Meis and Gueira. "You guys are working really hard, it's important to keep up your energy. And _set a good example_." Galo flicked his own sarcastic look at Lio. Which Lio neatly parried with feigned innocence.

For some reason, that reminded him of Lio's sword skills, which had thrilled him so intensely during their first stand-off. Stunning, exhilarating, he'd never felt so alive--

Galo again forgot what he was doing.

He was intensely grateful for Meis and Gueira's grounding presence as they took the items from his hands and broke him out of his mental wandering. "Dude, get a grip," Gueira muttered with a glare.

Galo had _never_ had this kind of trouble focusing on the present, he was _all about_ living fully in the moment, especially during a challenge. What was going _on_?

"Set a good example, huh?" Meis repeated Galo's instructions. The two lieutenants completed a wordless exchange and nodded in mutual understanding. They held the supplies aloft and used exaggerated motions to open the packaging, as if they were on stage.

"How _grateful_ we are to have the things we need," Gueira declared dramatically.

"How _fortunate_ to have friends who are eager to provide them!" Meis declared in mock seriousness.

"Yes, you should have just _asked_ ," Lio stated primly, face solemn but eyes laughing.

Three faces turned to stare at Lio, stunned by the sheer nerve.

He grinned at them, entirely shameless.

"Oh-ho-ho…" Gueira and Meis expressions turned feral and promised him all sorts of payback for his extraordinary cheek. Lio finally burst out laughing and held up his hands placatingly.

The laughter almost instantly rippled through all of them, until they were all gasping and wiping their eyes. It lasted longer than it probably would have if it hadn't been relieving weeks of tension. Meis and Gueira collapsed into the two bedside seats as the last of the chuckles abated and dutifully began their snack, clinking their water bottles together in a toast. Meis wasted no time in downing the water first, proving Lio's observations right again. Galo rested his leg against the edge of Lio's bed and watched all three, for once not in any rush for the next round of the game as all the players were at ease.

Lio's laughter had seemed to make Gueira and Meis deeply happy, tension Galo hadn't even recognized unwinding from their slender frames. But the sound of Lio's joy didn't seem to make them lightheaded like it did Galo. He felt like he could float away on the echoes, and he almost did. But this time as his eyes landed on Lio, he found his focus sharpening rather than scattering.

Lio seemed perfectly content to enjoy the pause in the game as his friends enjoyed their refreshments. In fact, Galo noticed he was curling and uncurling his toes beneath the covers as he watched Meis and Gueira banter over their break, and it was adorable and struck Galo's heart right through.

But he also noticed other things. And the next stage in the game was crystal clear to Galo, even if it wasn't what Lio had planned.

Galo stood straight and reached over to the bedside table, grabbing supplies. Before Lio seemed to really notice what he was doing, Galo threw one of the blankets across Lio's lap and wrapped the other around his shoulders. He gave Lio his own slightly admonishing look as he settled the folds across his chest.

"You _are_ cold."

Lio gave nothing away for a beat, then, "Just a bit," he conceded with a half nod, and Galo felt like he'd earned a bonus point.

Gueira, snack finished, crossed his arms. " _Really_."

"I was going to get to it," Lio muttered to Gueira.

"And thirsty--" Galo picked up a water bottle.

Lio rolled his eyes. "I was getting to that, too…"

"You do not get to give us a hard time about anything ever again," Meis declared.

Galo, though, had paused as he realized the logistics necessary for Lio to take a drink.

Lio was wrapped up now, and despite the good show he put on with his words and expressions, Galo knew he was still too weak to lift his arms.

The game master seemed to realize why Galo had paused. Offering no help after being called out like that, Lio smirked at his target with nothing but those eyes, waiting to see what the player would do next.

Galo felt like he was approaching certain doom again as he realized he needed to get closer, to touch, to watch, all without acting on the strange burning intensity which that hypnotizing gaze was coiling inside him.

So Galo _tried_ not to overthink anything as he twisted off the cap and perched on the edge of the bed. With a look of extreme concentration, a couple fingers beneath Lio's chin for calibration so he wouldn't spill, he helped Lio drink, watching very carefully for every signal that set pace. He heard Gueira mutter something to Meis in an annoyed tone. His own face felt like it was on fire by the end, though Lio was no longer looking at him. And Galo suddenly _knew_ it was because Lio was struggling with the vulnerability he was having to show, needing help with something as basic as drinking water.

Galo bit his lip, thinking furiously, his fingers still supporting Lio's chin and effectively preventing him from turning away. _It's okay It's okay this is more than okay--_

Before he could choose any words of reassurance, Lio boldly looked up and again locked Galo in place with only the intensity in his eyes. Only instead of the wall he had expected to have slammed up in his face, he saw a raw openness. Lio nodded slightly to indicate Meis and Gueira, but addressed Galo.

"The Burnish needs are my own." Lio said with quiet force, his gaze stripped of all barriers in his obvious and earnest desire for Galo to understand. His final point in this game.

"I know." Was all Galo could manage through a suddenly tight throat. Because this was purest Lio, unconcealed, fathoms of amethyst and fire declaring how much he _cared_.

Heart thundering, the adoring feeling threatened to overpower Galo again, demanding to be expressed. His fingers moved of their own accord. Shifting from where they rested still barely touching Lio's chin, they gently trace up his jawline. With the gesture came recent memories. He was grateful that the damage was repaired at last, but he would never forget those bruises. _So caring, and yet someone had hurt him with_ enthusiasm _. Had used that caring against him_. His fingers trembled slightly as he recalled that there was more damage yet to come. _How do I protect the one who fights so hard to protect everyone else?_ That, Galo knew, was the true final game point. He drew his fingers back down over the smooth skin again, raising a thumb to swipe at a bit of water still lingering at the corner of Lio's lips. Lio's eyes had widened, a question imprinting on his face as he clearly tried to understand these gestures.

Then a wiry but very solid arm was tugging across Galo's shoulders and a boot was planted firmly against his thigh.

The arm belonged to Meis who declared in no uncertain terms, "That is _not_ the kind of _need_ we're talking about relieving here."

Gueira added even more weight to the boot settled on Galo's leg. "Yo, if you're having trouble finding the right needs to take care of, I definitely _need_ a foot massage," he ordered with glee.

Meis held up his hand in front of Galo's face. "It's been forever since I had a good manicure… would be neglectful of you to leave _that_ untended."

Galo simply gaped at them for a beat, both relieved and frustrated by their timely interruption that pulled him from his moment before he could figure out what to do with it. But he recognized he had once again gotten distracted. It seemed the game wasn't quite finished, and he had forgotten to keep an eye on the other players.

 _Bring it on_.

He could feel the cockiness enter his grin. He whipped out the hospital brochure Lucy had given him.

"There's a spa on the 18th floor. Take your time."

They stared back for a moment, jaws hanging open at his boldness. Then Meis yanked Galo off the bed but couldn't help chuckling, and Gueira burst out laughing, thumping Galo (a little too hard) on the back in a show of good sportsmanship. "Idiot." Meis murmured, but it was clearly _point to Galo_.

The slightly painful elation lasted only a second as Galo found his attention quickly back on Lio, who was fighting his own grin, eyes dancing like embers in a draft as he watched the three of them. And there went Galo's heart, tumbling down an endless hill.

But, lesson over, Galo still wanted to know, "In addition to all things Burnish, is there anything _just_ Lio needs?"

Lio shifted, a subtle awkwardness that spoke to his continued discomfort with adapting to personal need. But with Galo having acknowledged Lio's point, Lio allowed for his own concession. "Another pillow would be… nice..."

Galo was already out the door.

Five nurses stood in a hushed conversation as he approached. As soon as Lucy saw him, she gave a triumphant grin and held out her hand to three of the others, who ruefully placed five dollars each in the outstretched palm.

"What can I do for you, oh supplier of my lunch?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"Nevermind, what does your cutie need now?"

Galo's face turned into an inferno, and he was unable to reply immediately. The final nurse rolled his eyes and slapped a ten down in front of Lucy.

"L-Lio needs another pillow."

She simply continued grinning and all but skipped to the supply room, returning with the requested item.

"Are you _sure_ you don't need anything else right now?"

Galo hugged the pillow close. "Nope! I… I think I won!"

Lucy just patted his hand and said, "That's great, dear. Make sure to take him out somewhere nice when you do. You'll want it to be memorable."

"W-what?!"

But she had already picked up a phone call and waved him off. He hugged the pillow tighter as he walked a little slower down the hall, trying to give his cheeks time to cool off.

Stopped entirely, heart squeezing, when he heard Lio laugh again. That sound always seemed to pick him up and shoot him straight to the stars. And then Lio spoke and Galo felt his legs freeze in place as he realized they were talking about _him_. "Yes, okay, a bit like a puppy. Hm, do you mean because he's enthusiastic and adorable--" Galo heard a choking sound, "--or because he's fetching so many things for us? Do you think we're being too hard on him?"

"What do you mean?" Gueira's voice was dismissive. "New recruits need to be trained. We're Mad Burnish, ya can't just waltz in and get cozy with the boss."

"Gratitude aside, there are still boundaries." Meis added. "And you don't usually seem to realize when someone is overstepping them. So that ends up being our job."

"Boundaries?" Lio sounded genuinely puzzled. Meis sighed but didn't elaborate before Gueira continued on a slightly different track.

"We're a disreputable gang, people have to know the order and their place." Gueira insisted. "We already let him skip way ahead because he… because when you…" His voice wobbled a bit before choking off. There was a strained silence before Gueira cleared his throat and continued. "Point is, he needs to learn some stuff still."

"I thought you guys agreed with him, though? About, uh, saying more... things… about letting people help-- I mean, he's not telling _you_ what to do, he's holding _me_ accountable about things _you_ agree with. Why are you sometimes acting more annoyed than I am?"

"You're _both_ annoying," Meis stated. "But we know _you're_ unlikely to get a clue anytime soon."

"And until _you_ notice and figure things out, _he_ needs to know where the boundaries are--like, you're not even _aware_." Gueira sounded frustrated.

" _I'm_ beginning to doubt whether we should leave you alone with him for very long." Meis continued.

"What??" There was a genuine mix of confusion and worry in Lio's tone now.

"He's getting very _distractible_." Meis continued.

"And handsy." Gueira grumbled.

Lio sounded incredulous now. "He's _trained_ to provide support, he's just doing his job."

"You are _so dense_ sometimes." Meis sounded pained.

A flare of warning melted the ice in his legs and Galo began walking quickly again. He didn't know what exactly they meant by everything, but the conversation was definitely veering into uncomfortable territory and he wanted it _over_.

"Like, even _I_ can tell--" Gueira was in the middle of agreeing when Galo finally strode into the room. Now clutching the pillow in a death grip.

The two lieutenants immediately leveled mild glares at him and inched closer to Lio.

Lio's gaze quickly shifted between the three before he got a look of realization. Flicking an affectionate glance at his fellow Burnish, he addressed Galo who was edging around them to deliver the pillow. "Ignore them, they just get stressed when they have to leave me in someone else's care."

Lio smiled triumphantly after his statement, like he had revealed he'd finally figured everything out.

Meis smacked a palm to his forehead.

"Yes, Galo," Gueira rolled his eyes and stepped forward, slinging an arm around him. "We're feeling _stressed_."

Meis slid his hand down his face, then smiled humorlessly with narrowed eye at Galo. "By several recent _proximity_ breaches. _Specific_ kinds that go beyond standard support."

Galo blanked his face, pointedly ignoring the comments because there was no good place that line of conversation could go.

Then he held out the pillow for them to take.

Their faces shifted, animosity ever so subtly morphing to surprise, then acceptance of the peace offering. With a small nod of acknowledgement, Meis took the pillow and Gueira happily moved to support Lio as Meis arranged the pillows.

"Thank you," Lio smiled, and nestled back a little further, clearly relieved to be supported sitting up straighter. Seeing that smile, a need requested and fulfilled, his three companions felt something ease from their shoulders at this small but powerful win.

"Speaking of support..." Lio began, clearing his throat and immediately leaping back to business. "The Burnish in hiding."

Game won. On to the bigger field. A battlefield. Together.

Meis and Gueira nodded, sighed, and plopped down on Lio's bed. Gueira rested his chin on Meis' shoulder. Lio looked at Galo and glanced at the chair beside him, inviting him to sit.

"What specific information do we have about who and where? And what more can we get?" Lio began.

The intel they had was incomplete, but with the help of different Burnish groups and leaders, they believed they could round it out enough to make a fairly thorough plan. There were currently more than sixteen thousand Burnish known to be in immediate danger, scattered across five continents. They were all temporarily secure, but it wouldn't last long.

Formerly, when trying to identify allies, all they had had to do was show their flames and they knew they were among fellow Burnish. There were few Burnish who would be widely recognized on sight besides Lio, but Meis and Gueira were quite known as well, and local groups tended to know others close to them. Within 40 minutes, Lio, Meis, and Gueira had the beginnings of a network approach to identifying and reaching the Burnish groups in need, relying on a chain of relationships. It was more complex than having one known person do all the work, but it would work.

Galo felt a sense of wonder watching them plan, realizing once again how much everyone had underestimated the Mad Burnish. Who were clearly _not_ disbanded, contrary to reports. They had built a global network with none of the resources governments and wealthy actors had. And Lio seemed to be able to hold the whole web in his mind at once, knowing the implications of a pulled thread here, a crucial juncture there. He could see how the people fit into a big picture, yet understood individuals' needs and how they would respond, who could help or hinder, and how. His intuition was honed to a fine edge, and Galo was no longer surprised that a single unexpected betrayal would be such an exception and such a blow. Risks and opportunities were quickly and decisively assessed, something Galo could understand and appreciate based on his own tactical training. And something powerful was inferred by the way they planned-- it was clear to Galo that the Burnish were _aligned_ in ways he had trouble imagining for a group spread out across the whole world. It made him intensely curious to know how things had played out in the past decade, the truth about the Burnish community rather than the propaganda he'd always been fed.

To Galo's true joy, Lio seemed to regain a bit of energy while engaging in the conversation, sitting up and holding the tablet on his own. Galo was too excited by all the rescue talk to hold back, despite his limited understanding of the context. The other three were surprisingly open to his contributions, especially when he provided ideas about transporting rescuees that the others hadn't considered. And a plan began to take solid shape.

"It's probably less risky than having a single leverage point, anyway" Lio pondered, looking at the network outline they had roughed out.

"I think I learned somewhere that it's stronger to have several," Meis smiled.

"And this way multiple rescues can be underway at the same time," Lio was beginning to look relieved.

"Imagine that, things happen quicker if you don't do everything yourself," Gueira grinned.

Lio lowered the map and mock-glared at his lieutenants. "I'm saying 'I told you so' _for_ you, you don't have to be so smug about it."

"Yes, we do," they chimed at the same time, faces deadpan.

Lio just laughed. Something eased in all of them, and they couldn't help joining in again with pure relief. Galo thought laughing together might be the most addicting thing he'd ever experienced.

But as the laughter faded, none of them missed the sadness Lio tried not to show as his eyes lingered on the screen displaying their plans. So clearly saying _but I still want to go, I need to be out there, need to save them_.

Meis gently took the tablet and set it aside with one hand, keeping contact with Lio's hands with the other.

"We'll finish up tomorrow. Try to get some sleep." Meis reassuringly stroked his hair. Then with a final squeeze of Lio's hands, hopped off the bed. He had clearly been keeping a close eye on his boss' energy. At least the temperature on the monitor was finally below 110F.

Lio opened his mouth to reply, but Gueira cut him off. "We will, too." He smirked when Lio looked rueful at being read so easily.

"In the morning, we'll use the outline to coordinate on filling in the intel gaps." Meis promised.

Lio nodded and settled fully back, eyes already starting to blink more slowly. "…then we should have a go-plan by the afternoon." He sleepy-smiled his approval, clearly trying to be supportive. With a sigh he closed his eyes, finally letting the exhaustion take over. It took a few moments for the remaining tension to bleed out of his face.

Meis and Gueira didn't bother hiding their soft looks as they watched Lio drop off. They stood there for a minute, and Galo respected the moment silently.

"You."

It took Galo a moment to realize he was being addressed. He pointed stupidly to himself as he noticed Meis was looking at him. Gueira gave him an unimpressed look and jerked his head over to the end of the room with the cots, indicating Galo should follow.

This was it, then. The payback for his earlier indiscretions and audacity. Showing him whatever boundaries they had been talking about.

The two Burnish took a seat on one cot and pointed for Galo to sit on the one facing them. They crossed their arms and stared at him. Galo scratched the back of his head nervously. When they finally spoke, he was prepared for a verbal pummeling.

"Thank you."

Galo froze. Tried to figure out if he'd missed something, because that was _not_ what he was expecting.

"Pisses me off that we have to say it again--" Gueira muttered, but Meis raised a hand to silence him. Then slung an arm companionably around his shoulders before facing Galo again.

"I don't think you know how much of a miracle that was," Meis began.

"Boss letting go like that, about the Burnish plans," Gueira clarified.

"And accepting help." Meis added. Then his tone turned marveling. "Having fun with everything…"

"Without a fight."

"Which… would be dangerous for him right now."

All three felt the return of anxiety at the depressing reality.

Galo knew how much they cared about Lio, understood and protected him in ways Galo couldn't immediately comprehend. And he knew they were giving him too much credit again. Far too much.

"Actually… I think I first _added_ to a lot of the problems with that. Made him resist harder."

Meis and Gueira gave him puzzled looks. Galo took a deep breath and leaned forward, resting his forearms against his knees.

"I'm not very good at _seeing_ … I mean, at knowing what someone really needs or wants…" He could see years of Kray's steadily smiling face, hiding one infused with darkness and hatred so keenly focused on _him_. On their history together. Lio's face had been anything but steady--anger, sadness, intensity, exasperation, determination, joy--but it had hidden something that hurt worse. Pain that Galo had unknowingly let fester.

From their first battle to each of their following encounters, Galo had repeatedly turned a blind eye to the harm being inflicted on Lio, just glancing over things as if they were minor hurdles--or even Lio's fault--and pushing him forward as if _Galo_ knew better. He now knew all the experiences that drove Lio to becoming the dragon, and felt ashamed that his first words to the tormented Burnish once he'd released the fire were if he had _calmed down already_. As if Lio had been a recalcitrant teen throwing a fit rather than a deeply caring person who had lost everything and been tortured to near insanity.

And just this past day… he couldn't bear to think about this morning for more than a moment. Remembering how his actions had pushed Lio into reliving that deep trauma. It had been terrifying to watch the internal storm ravage him. To watch how hard Lio had to fight to stay whole when so many things were tearing him up inside. Galo's ignorance and clumsy attempts at getting the weakened patient to open up had almost pushed Lio to his _death_. Galo could still feel the cold of that shock.

He had made Kray hate him. Lio, brave soul, was opening up now, despite all the ways Galo had screwed up so far. But Galo was terrified that he was on the same path to destroying it all. He had initially been so confident that everything he was doing with both of them was right, was supportive, but it was the opposite. He had failed them because he hadn't _seen_ them.

Ignis had said to see beyond the smoke, but Galo had just ended up lighting a bunch more stuff on fire. Meis and Gueira deserved to know the truth. They were already worried about his interactions with Lio. There were plenty of examples he could think of that showed how their concerns were more than justified. He took a deep, shuddering breath before giving them the summary.

"I'm not good at knowing how to help. And Lio is extra smoky, so it's been even harder and I messed up. A _lot_. I don't blame him for not trusting or wanting _my_ help, and I think that adds to him fighting against it from everyone else."

Gueira and Meis were giving him the flattest of looks.

"That is... definitely not what's been happening." Meis shook his head.

Gueira clapped a hand on Galo's shoulder. "It's not you. Boss always goes overboard like this. It's part of what's made so many _crazy terrorists_ respect him as a leader, he never asks anything of any of us that he's not willing to go all out and do himself--"

"--typically _prioritizing_ doing the dangerous stuff himself, so no one else gets hurt, especially if he's upset--" Meis interjected.

"Or has decided to blame himself for whatever." Gueira scowled, digging his fingers into his hair in frustration.

"But before it wasn't so bad--it was never like _this_." An agonized tension filled Meis' voice, his brow drawing tighter. He pulled his arm off Gueira's shoulder and turned inward. He was silent a moment, staring down at nothing while rubbing the fingers of his hands together. Gueira placed a hand on his shoulder, a steady reassurance that they would wait until he was ready to continue. When Meis looked back up, Galo saw a deep fury burning in his eyes. If it had been focused on him, he would have been genuinely afraid. He barely recognized Meis' voice. "It's not right for him to be this way. All the injuries. All the bruising and broken things." He grit his teeth, hands clenching into fists and shoulders rising with tension. "It's _not right_ for anyone to have been able to hurt him so much." He looked ready to kill.

Gueira, catching the fire, growled with equal ferocity, his rage more wild, ready to strike at anything. "He shouldn't be stuck like that, he shouldn't be _frozen_ or _burning_ alive or--" He choked off, fury breaking into a terrified sorrow across his expressive face.

 _Dying_.

They all avoided the word in the silence.

But their eyes were drawn across the room to a resting face that still bore the weary traces of recent suffering. Watched the slight rise and fall of his chest for reassurance. They could _taste_ the bitter fear, heavy in the silence around them.

Meis kept his eyes locked on that beloved face. "He sometimes got hurt, and that was terrifying, we hated it, but his fire was so strong it could take care of him." He wrapped a shaking arm around Gueira, fingers tightening as they held on.

"He acted like he was invincible because he practically was, so he just took care of everyone else," Gueira explained, fury and grief battling for dominance in his expression.

Meis tore his eyes back to Galo and slammed a fist into the bed. "He gives everyone else a light to follow. He shouldn't have his energy _burned out_ like this. He shouldn't be _hurting."_

 _"He shouldn't be hurting_ ," Gueira vehemently repeated, eyes on fire, _"_ He's _Lio_." Meis nodded once, a sharp edge of sorrow in his tone as he repeated, "He's _Lio_." As if that fully explained the wrongness. And Galo knew exactly what they meant.

It was the same feeling he'd had when he jumped out of a deathrow prison as the whole city was on fire and the world about to burn, and decided the first priority was a certain dragon crying in pain.

"He gives _everything_." Eyes ignited, Meis pressed his lips tightly together as he looked back at Lio.

"Everything." Gueria swiped a sleeve across his eyes and leaned into Meis' arm. "And now he's left with nothing. All those hateful assholes shouldn't have been able to do this to him. Not to Lio."

Galo felt every word echo in his own soul, had tasted the bitterness of this anger and fear, the injustice, the _not right_. But how much more potent must it feel for the two who had been living with Lio for years, fighting together for each other and their people? Their fear for Lio's wellbeing had balanced out with confidence in the strength of his fire. Now that fire was gone. And they just had to watch him suffer.

But they weren't right about everything.

"He doesn't have nothing left." Galo said quietly, breaking through the dark feelings threading through all three of them. "He has you."

Meis and Gueira turned their anguished faces to him as he spoke. "I think that has meant everything to him. I think that's why he still… why he's… trying so hard. Why he doesn't give up. He got back what was most important to him."

Meis released a choked breath as he leaned forward, face in his hands, bracing his elbows on his knees. Gueira dropped his forehead to Meis' shoulder, arms fully encircling, giving and seeking comfort in the same gesture. After a few unsteady breaths, Meis turned and squeezed his arms tightly around Gueira, and they simply held each other, eyes clench shut. Sharing the weight of their loyalty and love for their family of three, their grief and fear for the one still suffering and in danger, their anger that could find no outlet, and all the remembered joy and present sorrow.

Galo looked down and studied his hands, as much to give them a semblance of privacy as to process his own heartbreak over the situation. But it was hard to see past the remorse and helplessness. He didn't know how much time passed before Gueira's hand finally touched his knee. He looked up and saw the two Burnish leaning against each other but facing him again. Meis took a breath and broke the silence.

"He has you, too."

Tears sprang to Galo's eyes and his throat tightened, so all he could do is nod.

Gueira looked again at Lio. Then his face deepened once more into grief-laced fear as he turned back to Meis with a disturbing thought. "What if it's not enough? What if _we're_ not enough again?" Gueira visibly shuddered. "What if he still--I can't watch again." Gueira frantically grabbed Meis' arm, panic tightening the muscles across his body and face. "I can't watch it happen again, Meis."

In a reaction opposite to Gueira's but no less disturbing, Meis stiffened and went absolutely still. He said nothing. His eyes grew wide, haunted, unblinking as they fixed in the distance. Seeing nothing but previous horrors rather than the present.

Gueira's eyes seemed to fix on a similar spot. "What if in the end we can't…"

And then they were both locked away in the pain still raw in their hearts and minds, as surely as if they had been clamped back into the pods of that death machine.

Galo registered that they were showing somewhat different symptoms from anyone he'd seen with flashbacks--in fact their breathing had grown _too_ quiet--but their disconnected distance was alarming enough. He spoke to ground them, to call them back to the present. "Gueira. Meis. That isn't happening right now. Lio is safe. You're safe. You're here with me in the hospital."

Their eyes slowly moved to him. Meis reached over and took Gueira's hand. Took a deeper breath, which Gueira mirrored a moment later. They both closed their eyes briefly and took several measured breaths. Galo realized this was an intentional routine, and that this definitely wasn't the first situation in which they had had to use it. He was stunned when they opened their eyes and seemed almost normal.

"Are you… okay?" Galo asked.

Meis nodded and murmured, "Thank you. It's a… Burnish thing." The tone of finality clearly stating there would be no discussion about the episode.

Gueira caught the thought he'd left on, though, and sorrowfully asked again, "What if we can't save him?"

Burnish mystery aside, Galo's specialty was focusing on the moment. And Gueira's question was at the heart of everything.

"We _can_." Galo spoke into the heavy air, heart aching for the two. Clawed away his own memory of that scream, and a cold, gray, lifeless face, and a slender body disintegrating in his arms. "We will. _He_ will." He took a shaky breath. " _We_ can't give up hope," he all but pleaded.

They looked at him, troubled.

"He's _still Lio_."

Something unlocked. Their faces began to ease. Galo had hoped that reminder would bring comfort. After all, they had unconditional faith in their boss, _not_ just his fire--and also believed he was worth fighting anything for. Lio gave them hope, and they'd give it right back.

Gueira took a steadying breath and Meis straightened. They slung an arm around each other's shoulders and reached their free hands forward to rest on Galo's shoulders. Galo did the same, completing the huddle.

"We won't give up," Meis promised and Gueira nodded.

"We'll save Lio again," Galo added for good measure. A promise bond between the three.

Gueira broke contact first, huffing a breathy laugh as he slumped over against Meis' shoulder. "Even if he fights us on it." Gueira gave a crooked smile, affection for their stubborn boss breaking through fear at last.

"Yeah." Meis rested his cheek on Gueira's head, the ghost of a smile forming on his face. He shook his head slightly and looked back at Galo. "Like we were saying, he's always had this... _difficulty_ accepting help. It really isn't on you."

That didn't mean he hadn't made it worse, Galo figured.

Gueira nodded. "He always takes on too much himself, and finds it stupidly hard to ask for help, even when he needs it."

"So we always have to manage against those tendencies," Meis' sigh had years of weariness behind it. "But it's just... So much worse now. The stakes are… It would be so easy to lose him. We can't let it slide anymore."

Galo nodded, recognizing this matched up with his own observations and conclusions. That only made his blunders worse, as far as he could figure.

"With you… he's different. Than with most people." Meis admitted.

"Yeah…" Galo agreed. He'd earned a lot of those walls. He had a lot to work on.

"Yeah, like, Lio's fire…" Gueira continued.

Now they'd lost Galo. His fire?

Meis and Gueira shared a look, spoke to each other silently, deciding. Finally Meis leaned forward with his arms on his knees, and Galo moved to mirror him, intensely face-to-face. Meis spoke quietly, as if trying to be discreet.

"We don't normally talk with outsiders about what it's like to sync with the fire. The extent to which Lio explained it to you right off was _unusual_ , to say the least."

It had surprised Galo, too, considering they'd been on opposite sides at the time and Lio had shown he didn't expect Galo to listen and believe it. A lack of faith he'd then gone ahead and confirmed by openly doubting and criticizing. _If you just stopped starting fires you could live like_ normal. And then immediately running back to Kray. The one torturing them all. He cringed.

"Stop that."

"Your face hides nothing. Like, ever."

"You're not hearing this right."

"Almost as bad as Boss."

"So shut up your brain--shouldn't be hard--and just listen, okay? We're going to keep needing your help, so you need to understand this." Meis touched Galo's arm briefly to refocus him, then took a breath and continued. "Lio has always been different, even within the Burnish. The exceptional among the exceptional."

"Most Burnish have a bond with their fire--with the Promare, I guess--that is just instinct," Gueira explained, opening his hands as if summoning a flame. "Some Burnish could tell there was a _will_ behind the fire. We always could," he nodded to Meis, "and then it's more intentional. Like, an exchange of thoughts."

Meis picked up the thread, "Then you can build with your fire, direct the flames, temper them. It was a requirement for becoming Mad Burnish. But Lio had always said they were truly alive and could communicate. I kind of get what he was saying, but not fully. As best as we could tell, he truly empathized with them and built a deeper bond. He wanted to know their needs and intentions."

Gueira scrunched his brow, thinking. "It was like, he wanted to make sure the fire-life was taken care of, too, in addition to the Burnish humans. And because he listened to them, they listened back. Lio and the fire learned how to speak to each other more fluently or something."

"When we started understanding things he was explaining, what he was translating, and then acting on it, it was easier for all of us to control our fire. To have fewer accidents or outbursts. To do more with it. And to connect to each other better. Basically we synced better, so we all improved and became precise enough to pull off the missions we did without hurting anyone. Some of the operations were crazy impressive." Meis explained, followed by Gueira again.

"Now we know about the Promare, it makes sense. They probably _were_ trying to communicate and figure out our strange world."

"Anyway, the bond he had with the fire beings... He called it, um, a heart sync."

"So embarrassing."

"We gave him hell about it all the time."

"But really, it was wickedly amazing."

"Not just for all the things _he_ could do. Also, for what he could do for others." Meis agreed.

Gueira put a hand to his heart. "In some extreme cases, he would even offer his fire for awhile--transfer his will for it to follow, like, translate--to those of us he was super close to. He said his heart had to be open to ours for it to work, whatever that means. All I know is, there was a kind of… place… he could bring you to... And then the connection to the fire was so _strong_ and precise. We could hear each other more clearly. It was the craziest feeling, it was like..." Gueira searched for an analogy.

"Going from riding a tricycle to a precision racing bike."

"Yeah! Which meant the power and level of control was just totally different."

"He never made that connection with a non-Burnish before you. I wouldn't have thought it possible. In any case, for Boss to ask the fire to go protect you, and for the fire to be able to do it, would have required a heart sync between… you two." Meis watched Galo carefully as he said this, picking up on his confusion and astonishment. "The fire--Promare, I guess--wouldn't have known what to stay connected to outside of Lio's body otherwise. What to listen to."

Galo's mind flew back to a moment. He had been desperate to save Lio from Kray's crushing grip, but Kray had swatted him away like a fly. And he had fallen to what should have been his death. Only… Lio's fire had engulfed him and then he was _somewhere_. It was fuzzy in his memory, but he did recall a blissful warmth, a sense of space, voices that spoke without sound. The most tangible thing had been a hand--Lio's hand--holding his, passing something on. Then he opened his eyes, without having realized he even closed them, and Aina was there. At the time he figured he had just passed out as the fire saved his body from the fall.

Galo also remembered the alien sensation of being connected to the Promare, the way there was a presence, _warm, enveloping, permeating_ , an _I am here_ sense of protection. A questioning presence in his heart that responded to his will. He had known from the first moment that it was from Lio, because it _felt_ like Lio, like he was still holding his hand as the small flame flickered in his palm, combined with something so different that it was like being asked to talk to a color. Or a fire, he supposed.

"Whatever else is rattling around in that brain of yours... Y'should know you do mean something to Boss." Gueira said, only slightly begrudgingly.

"And he trusts you. A rather insane amount, for him." Meis glanced away. "Which is why he listens, and part of why you particularly can help him."

"Part?"

Shrug. "The rest is cuz you have your own way. _We_ don't even understand that."

"And we... You know we wouldn't leave Boss with just anyone."

"Plus, it's annoyingly clear to us that he needs you. Especially right now."

"And maybe not _just_ needs but also--" An elbow to the ribs silenced Gueira's somewhat sulky comment.

"Not for us to say." Meis murmured.

Gueira huffed, then pointed a commanding finger at Galo. "Well, back off with the extra touching!"

" _And_ the smouldering." Meis added.

"Smouldering?!"

"The _looks_."

So he was right--they _had_ noticed those moments when the pull took over.

"I don't _mean_ to, it's just... _Lio_ … y'know?" Galo began to gesture as if his hands could make the point for him. "With the… and plus… and then all the… all the everything!!" Galo looked at them, seeking some kind of answer to this puzzle. Meis was biting his lip, and Gueira wasn't hiding his grin of amusement. "Do you think it's the sync thing?? Like, aftermath?"

"No! That's not how it works. You don't see _us_ being idiotic like that." Meis rolled his eyes.

Gueira stared at Galo incredulously. "You really are just as dense as he is!"

"This is going to get so annoying."

"We _should_ do that spa thing."

"Definitely deserve it."

Meis looked back at Galo, then suddenly chuckled. "Your face is hilarious. Don't think too hard. The sync is a channel. It facilitates a flow but it's never _created_ feelings."

"You don't even need to understand it." Gueira declared, confidence now returning. "Just follow Gueira's never-fail advice: If life gets confusing, just try to think of the times when things were going right and repeat that stuff." Gueira suggested with an easy grin and a 'tah-dah!' gesture. "I always think that's the best guide."

This advice made a lot of sense to Galo.

"Well that explains a lot about your selective memory," Meis elbowed Gueira again.

"Just spreading my wisdom, yo."

With a pained sigh, Meis gave Gueira a final side hug and then shoved him off the cot, "Go get in your own bed, before your brilliance overwhelms us." Gueira just grinned at Meis and grasped Galo's shoulder briefly as he rose. "'Night." He flopped down on his cot and snuggled under his extra blanket, almost instantly asleep.

Meis shook his head fondly at what was clearly predictable behavior for Gueira. Then he turned back to Galo, serious. "Meis' always-follow _rule_ : always do what's best for Lio. You seem to have an instinct about that. For most things. But…" Meis looked uncharacteristically conflicted. "Look, part of having extraordinary empathy is the vulnerability to get extraordinarily hurt. And for all his jaded persona, Lio is really quite… innocent and trusting in surprising ways. He's definitely got blind spots." Galo's attention was like a laser beam, trying to understand what he was being told about the most fascinating subject ever. Meis looked faintly guilty, as if he was telling a secret. But then his face became stern. "All of that is amplified with those he's close to. So, be careful. About what you say and do. Even if-- _especially_ if you're running on instinct or impulse." The instructive tone shifted to one of warning with Meis' next words. "Don't hurt him. Figure things out yourself before your actions confuse him. And make sure he understands your meaning so he can make… aware choices." Meis paused, as if reviewing memories or mental notes. Then he became irritated. "And for the love of all that is flammable, stop forgetting we're there watching when we've literally been in the room the whole time! I know you're just being brainless, but it's like you're testing us to see what we'll let you get away with." He flicked Galo's forehead. "Idiot." And with a final disgruntled huff, Meis lay back on his cot, ending the conversation.

Rubbing his forehead after Meis' attack, Galo stored away the instructions. He thought he understood them, but "don't hurt Lio" seemed really obvious. And not enough. He wanted to _help_ Lio.

So he began pondering Gueira's advice as he stood to turn off the light, mind furiously processing what he'd been told over the past hour.

… _try to think of the times when things were going right and repeat that stuff_ …

Well. Times when he had thought things were going _right_ , like with Kray, they had secretly been going very wrong. And times that had seemed _hard_ with Lio, the times they confronted each other, were actually better. They were honest. Real. They pulled the burning firefighter and the cool flame together, showed they were not so different.

He flipped the light switch and stood in the dark for a moment, letting his eyes adjust, still thinking.

Kray had been hiding his hatred from Galo for a long time. The estimation he had shown had been false. But if what Meis and Gueira said was true, then Lio must... Actually _truly_ think well of him in some way. It didn't sound like something that could be faked, this heart sync. _His heart had to be open to the person for it to work_ … Lio had cared enough to... Galo reached up and touched his heart, looking over to the dim outline of the one who had filled it with fire, wonder rising as he recalled again the feeling of that flame's embracing presence.

Kray had sent Galo into fire wishing for his death. Lio had sent Galo his own fire hoping for his life.

They were opposite situations. They were opposite _people_. He… shouldn't be comparing them, trying to understand his mistakes with Lio by looking at the ones he made with Kray. They would be different.

So worrying so much about repeating old, irrelevant failures wouldn't help him learn how to help Lio now. The Burnish leader was his own extraordinary person and had been the one to show Galo those problems in the first place. How had Kray gotten tangled up with Lio in his head? There was something dark and terrifying there inside, and he quickly shut it out and backed away. He should be focusing on the new stuff _Lio_ was showing him. Every moment with him had felt like a revelation. And Lio, with his _stubborn_ generosity and fiery compassion and unrelenting bravery and playful kindness, had indeed already been steadily pulling his own thoughts away from painful self-recrimination to the joy of supporting someone who deserved it.

Galo's feet drifted him closer to the source of that joy, the person illuminating his soul and yet flooding it with grief. Ever the contradiction.

He stopped when he reached the bedside, now easily able to see the graceful lines of that objectively beautiful face. It was sometimes hard to believe it was real. Heart racing at the risk of ignoring Gueira and Meis' warnings, but finding the pull irresistible, he reached out his left hand and touched his fingers to Lio's cheek. It was still decidedly warmer than his own skin, and _so soft_. His speeding heart screeched to a stop as Lio unconsciously turned his head slightly to lean into the touch. Did he… somehow know it was Galo? It was an unreasonable but heady thought.

He could never let anyone hurt him again.

This crystal clear thought brought him back to the core question: how could he protect Lio?

 _Think of the times when things were going right_ …

With Lio specifically, this time.

Well, nothing had felt so right as when they were working together as one. Piloting the coolest mech ever, wielding the ultimate Matoi, following Lio to wherever the heck he had taken Galo to blast their solar system and save their planet with their very souls fused together. It had also felt right, in the midst of a whole lot of wrong, to be in the borrowed embrace of Lio's fire, that depth of connection. And, for awhile, it had felt right to be rescuing people together.

But it seemed to Galo that Lio had been the one doing the _giving_ during all of those situations. So what could Galo learn about his own options from any of that? What could he possibly offer Lio?

_He needs you. Especially right now._

Meis and Gueira knew Lio better than anyone, and they insisted Lio needed him. _Why?_

He had promised to save Lio. _How?_

He did, desperately, want to support Lio in _every_ way. Keep him from facing everything inside and out alone. For the second time, Galo wished the Promare were still here. So he could once more join his heart to Lio's. Offer his strength, this time to save not the whole world, but the one who brought light to his.

This wasn't a fight he could afford to lose.

With a shaking breath, he lifted his right hand and placed his fingertips on the covers over Lio's heart. It should have been impossible to feel the beat through the blankets, but Galo swore he could. And then Lio turned his head just a bit more to press even further into his left hand, and Galo had to squeeze his eyes shut for a moment as his heart clenched. He grit his teeth. He wanted to pick Lio up and hold him and never let go. Instead he focused on the heartbeats, letting them unwind the anguish inside with their steady reassurance.

And sure enough, they lit a fire.

Galo's eyes snapped open. Even if they couldn't connect in a Promare-fueled sync, he needed to be there, to be close, so Lio wouldn't be facing things alone in his heart.

_Please let me stay with you._

He would find a way. To give Lio everything he had in him. And make sure Lio let him.

Because if Lio needed him…

All the burning of his soul would be there for the one who kept it on fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eesh, there was a lot of information in this chapter. Thanks for bearing with some processing/transition. So now you've been introduced to my weird heart sync headcanon. I've been weaving evidence of that into every chapter so far. I'm curious if you have any guesses about anything coming up in the plot… heh heh…
> 
> The game at the beginning may have seemed simple (stupid) enough, but it's a pretty telling character moment for Lio in two ways. First, as a leader, he's just realized he's caused a lot of stress for his guys, and also there is a foundational counterpoint he wants to make to the new understanding Galo just gave him about his own needs. So making a game out of it is his way of trying to give them some relief while instructing organically. Second, he's a realist (layered over a hopeless idealist)--he may die, and he wants to make sure those he cares about will take care of each other. That they know that's the best way to continue his story.
> 
> Just ignore me sitting over here in my corner crying...
> 
> Random notes in no particular order:
> 
> Y'know. I'm thinking Galo maybe should have spent a little more time thinking about Meis' advice, too. Jus sayin.
> 
> I love Gueira, I just wrote a scene for the sequel from his POV, and it was a TON of fun.
> 
> Galo is providing a lot of entertainment for the hospital staff. He has totally told everyone who would listen how awesome Lio is, including random people in the lobby who have no idea what he's talking about. But they all agree his lovesick bragging is adorable.
> 
> #givemeisandgueiratheirspaday  
> They will go with Aina, Lucia, and Varys and have a delightful time. Epilogued!!!
> 
> The first time Galo wished the Promare were back was of course when it was revealed that Lio's healing was incomplete. Aw. :'(
> 
> Next chapter:  
> Fair warning, the next chapter has three different kinds of pain. Maybe more. But I was excited, because I finally got to start writing an action scene. I love those. Why am I writing a fic of just people talking and thinking. Sigh.


	7. Almost | For Now

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Celebrating Spectrospecs who gives me confidence to post. :)

A now-familiar flood of unending screams tried to follow Lio once more as he pulled himself awake from yet another dream--almost a complete nightmare, but for the light of the fire trail and the warmth of the hand holding his, protecting. The dreams had become so unrelenting, so real the past few days, it was hard to actually feel rested.

But a very genuine sense of relief washed away any lingering dread. He realized that for once, wakefulness did not bring acute pain.

He was tired, but not hurting.

He couldn't help a smile as for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, the morning was something that held possibility rather than simply a need to endure.

This was going to be a good day. Whether it wanted to cooperate or not, Lio was going to make sure it was. And so was tomorrow. And the day after. Heris had said will power was an important part of his survival chances, so he was steeling his.

Seeing his three loyal idiots still fast asleep on their cots, he took a moment to psych himself up and do a little math.

Meis + Gueira + Galo = exhausted

And quite frankly, he could now recognize that his actions had backfired from his intentions and made that worse. Rather than keeping a burden from their shoulders, making things easier for them, by resisting their support he had made them waste energy on fighting him and worrying.

They… they were going to take care of him, with or without his help. Gratitude sank its warmth into his heart.

So. Going to do better. He'd make sure to be honest with them about his physical wellbeing, accept their care, and include them in the planning regarding it. That should sufficiently show his trust in them, right?

Plus…

He thought of their game yesterday, and all the little happinesses that had come from seeing them take care of each other and letting them take care of him like they seemed to want to do. Hmmm. And discovering those looks of… _concentration_ Galo got. They had sent a liquid fire racing through his veins. They might have surpassed even the firefighter's confident grins in the list of things that Lio very much enjoyed replaying in his mind.

He tried to shake the distraction away, tucking it affectionately into a corner of his mind for later. Because time was of the essence right now. He returned to his math.

The second equation required some actual calculation and a smidge of guess work. Since there had been a consistent timing correlation between when he had sustained injuries and when the boosted healing wore off, he realized he could approximate the likely timing of future events. With the exception of the ice bullet, which he figured was an outlier since his body had been in stasis for a week, everything lined up.

Three days, as best as he could figure. Three days before the effects of jumping out of a destroyed robot and physically facing off against that psycho three times his size caught up to him. That fourth day would suck.

There were things he wanted to do with the three days. To fight for survival. To take care of the Burnish. To respect the feelings of his friends. And... to make sure his people had a path to healing, whether or not he was there to walk it with them. That would be the trickiest part - putting that in motion without giving any hint about why he was prioritizing it right now. He knew the others would stand firmly in denial for as long as they could. But he wasn't going to look away from the possibility--probably likelihood--that he wouldn't be here on day five. That first experience burning to death was too real to him to pretend it was anything less than it was. He'd resist that fate until the end, but he also wanted to prepare things as best he could for the survivors.

He would never say it to anyone else, but he was scared. It wasn't that he hadn't faced death before, but never an unnerving countdown clock he couldn't fight against. And he was going to have to face _that_ pain again. Just thinking about it for a second set him screaming internally, his pulse doubling and his chest clenching with a pang... _No_ , he couldn't think about that now. Not on _his_ time, his three days. He wouldn't let Kray take that from him, too. He breathed steadily through clenched teeth, applying sheer force of will, until his heart slowed its frantic pace. It didn't stop hurting, though.

Because mixed with that fear was a kind of... preemptive grief. Sitting in his hospital bed looking at his best friends and thinking of his people, he could envision their lives moving forward. It wouldn't be easy, but there could be a future now. One that promised, at last, some measure of possible happiness. Of freedom. Of a place to be and precious new friends to be with. Of beginning to think about what they actually _wanted_. Of safety enough to try _so many_ new things. Pizza and ice cream and karaoke bowling and walking down a street just talking and sitting on a couch competing against each other in stupid games and building crazy things and seeing those bright smiles that filled you up all the way and...

And he might not be there with them. After everything.

Two drops fell from his face to the blankets covering his lap.

Hope was hovering there like a light at the edge of the horizon, promising dawn. A sun he could begin to believe would rise for everyone else, but it would never have the chance to shine on him. He'd be like a ghost left in the darkness he'd lived in his whole life, a memory washed away with the light, left behind as time pulled everyone else he loved forward, out of his reach. It was a relief to know that new day was before _them_ , but…

He could feel his heart struggling, squeezing a little too hard, irregular, desperately trying to find it's rhythm, as tears ignored his commands and tumbled unrelenting down his face. How could he miss people he hadn't even left yet?

But he did.

_I want to stay with them. I want to keep fighting for them. I want our future together._

He clenched his hands that now felt so empty and cold. These fingers could do nothing. Soon they would hold nothing.

He wondered if his Promare would know if he wasn't there anymore. They may be in another world, but they'd lived in his heart for a long time. Was there any way to say a final goodbye? An intense loneliness for their missing ever-presence wound together with the vision of leaving his human friends, and the last of his restraint broke. He wrapped his arms around himself as a suffocating heaviness pushed against his back, bending him forward until he was pressed against the blankets in his lap. The tears rolled down in a torrent as his throat clenched so tight he didn't know how to breathe again without letting out a sob that would surely wake the others.

That thought brought a sense of horror to his overwhelming grief, and he brought shaking hands up to press against his mouth, desperate to lock himself in silence as he huddled there.

Long seconds ticked by with no relief. He squeezed his eyes even tighter, imagining that blocking the tears might release his lungs so the air could _quietly_ enter them again. His chest was burning by the time he was finally able to take in a stuttering, but quiet breath. He wanted to gasp in the oxygen to his starved lungs but controlled it ruthlessly to keep the noise down.

He had this. He was good at toughing things out.

Clenching fistfuls of the covers, it took another minute before his chest stopped locking up with every breath. He managed his way to a more normal cadence with a self-directed fury.

Which brought with it an edge of panic that finally allowed him to sit up further. Swiping his fingers at the wet trails on his cheeks and trying to scrub away the damp spots on his blanket, Lio began to frantically erase the evidence of his inner weakness that had spilled out. He glanced at the others, dread easing as he saw they slept on. Still laboring to inhale and exhale regularly, he summoned enough strength in his still weak arms to grab the water bottle at his bedside, pour a small quantity into his cupped hand, and scrub it across his face. He wiped all remaining moisture off on the inside of his sheets.

Eyes again fixed on the sleeping forms across the room, he focused on taking one deep breath after another, until the pattern became less of a conscious chore. Relief uncurled in his heart at having escaped a scene. They did _not_ need more evidence of how pathetic he'd become. How much the inside matched the outside. They didn't need to see him crying. This inner pain wasn't something they needed to know or carry.

He had to do better.

With a final sigh, he scrubbed the back of his hand across his eyes as if that would remove evidence, his arm dropping again in ever-present weariness. He looked at the monitor--it read 105F, but he didn't feel hot. A little chilly, actually, if he left the protection of his blanket.

His extra blanket.

There. It was trembling, but he had found the first rung on a ladder that led upward to brighter thoughts. He clung to that happy memory from yesterday, climbed it like a desperate foothold, replaying it until he could at least _imagine_ a smile as he remembered theirs, so animated. And he had indeed managed to relax his face as he looked over to see Galo beginning to shift. Meis had just risen up on one elbow to look at Lio, and Lio found a small smile was easy enough to form as they made eye contact. It began to grow on its own as he focused on his friends. He rubbed a hand against his eyes and gave a little yawn, like he had just woken up, to explain away any potentially lingering redness. His heartbeat eased fully back to normal. Meis' face lit up, returning a grin. He began shaking Gueira, who had draped an arm and leg off the side of his cot as he slept. Galo was dragging his hand through some very interesting bedhead hair that Lio's fingers were immediately eager to try touching again.

 _Please let me stay with them_.

A subtle strength ran up his spine. He chose to cling to that hope for now.

"Good morning. Let's have breakfast!" Lio suggested with a tilt of his head that had them all stumbling to their feet.

So they did. Lio gratefully absorbed the sense of normalcy as they ordered bagels, fruit, and coffee delivered from the cafeteria. He pulled his legs up, sitting with them crossed so the other three could all crowd onto his double bed. It turned out to be one of the best mornings Lio could remember, because it was warm and calm and everything and nothing and these guys he liked best. When the food came, they had the server take a group picture of them, sipping from their paper coffee cups with their pinkies out and bored looks of exaggerated sophistication. They sent it as an update to the Burning Rescue team, who turned it into a caption contest. Meis, Gueira, and Galo enjoyed reading the responses aloud to Lio as he tried not to choke on his breakfast with the laughter. Galo's team had an amazing sense of humor.

They talked about the worst breakfasts they'd ever had (Gueira won with his impromptu roadkill BBQ) and the best breakfast they had personally cooked (Galo won with a delicious-sounding spinach, onion, and bacon frittata that had them looking less fondly at their bagels and shmear). Galo offered to cook for them when Lio was released from the hospital, and it earned him a million post-game points. He excitedly began describing his best dishes to a very appreciative audience, and took requests as a thrilling challenge.

But _of course_ it couldn't last forever. A new kind of pain made itself known to Lio as Galo was co-creating his menu with the Burnish trio. Lio almost didn't want to tell them when he began to feel an ache spread through his hands, across his torso, and most intensely up the back of his shoulders, neck, and head. Twinges of pain snaked inward with each movement, and he casually flipped his hands palms up and cradled his plate to hide them as he started to see discoloration. He resented the idea of losing this glowing moment, a pocket of sunshine in his limited time. But. He wasn't going to hide physical injuries from them anymore. And he could use this to segue into another important subject…

When Galo conveniently asked him how he was feeling, he took it as a sign that now was the time.

"Better. I don't feel feverish at all. Um," Lio addressed Gueira and Meis in particular. "So, at the end of the dragon… episode, I told you Galo pulled me out, right?" At their nod, he continued. "Well. I didn't stop right away. And I fought back."

Galo's eyes had widened slightly and Meis sat straighter as if realizing where this was going. Gueira looked quickly between them, piecing things together.

"You're hurt?" Galo asked, clenching his hands together, clearly running memories through his mind. He paled as he seemed to recall the scene.

Lio gave him a reluctant half-nod. "It's not bad," he said, turning over his hands, angry bruises radiating out from the knuckles.

Galo expelled the breath he had been holding like someone had punched him, eyes fixated on the red, black, and blue that trailed down fingers and wound up past the wrists. His own hands flinched back. Meis and Gueira frowned darkly as they each took a slender hand and ran their fingers lightly over the marks.

Lio studied a morose Galo as the two inspected his hands, and when the firefighter's anguished eyes flicked from Lio's hands to his face, Lio was ready with a kind smile. After all, he claimed full ownership for this pain, this was a consequence of his own poor choices... And Galo's good ones.

These were wounds Lio didn't look at bitterly. They were evidence of the way Galo reminded him of the person he wanted to be. Because of Galo, he had been able to stay true to the values he tried to demonstrate for all the Burnish--that they had worth, dignity, self-respect, and respect for life. Because of Galo, he was able to pull back from betraying the trust and innocence of the living fire. Galo had yanked him out of his own fire dragon and fought him until he would listen because of his conviction that Lio was something better. And he hadn't stopped reminding Lio ever since. It was strange--being rescued by Galo, needing Galo, partnering with Galo, had made him more _himself_. It was like a nonstop source of courage.

Gueira's foot came up and kicked Galo off the bed.

"Hey!" Lio exclaimed, pulling his hands back and glaring.

Meis folded his arms with a dark look. "He broke the _ultimate_ rule."

Gueira was glaring over the side of the bed. "Demotion! Boss privileges suspended!"

Galo gave them an accepting, agonized look.

" _Guys_. I was the one punching _him_. He was just trying to stop me from doing something I'd regret."

Meis and Gueira crossed their arms, frowning harder. As one, they both looked down at a contrite Galo, sitting on his legs with his head bowed, and declared, "Don't care." They promptly turned away, facing Lio again.

"Is this all?" Meis demanded as he pointedly ignored Lio's small scowl.

Lio furrowed his brow for a moment and ran his fingers over his shoulder. Yes, definitely tender. Urrrrgh, more like tenderized, he realized, as he felt the bruises through every layer of muscle, sinking into his bones. He hoped it looked better than it felt. Lio sighed and then turned, lifting his hair and tugging the shirt collar aside so they could see whatever there was to see on his shoulders and up his neck. The movement made him a little dizzy and his head squeezed painfully.

"It's not too bad, right?"

Next thing he knew, he was down two pillows and Galo was on the receiving end of a very one sided pillow fight.

Rolling his eyes, Lio summoned a little extra energy and grabbed one of the flailing pillows with one hand and Galo's shirt collar with the other and gave a weak yank. "I need those!"

Meis and Gueira paused, considered Lio's words, and looked even more furious at Galo.

"Guys, we don't have time to fight, there's a lot to fit into three days." Lio sighed, energy taking flight, and the pillow-wielders rushed to replace them as Lio had to lean back again. He tried to keep his face still as the ache transformed into pulsing pain when his weight returned to his shoulders after the extra activity. Judging from Meis' look of grief and Gueira's heartfelt "Sorry, Boss," he realized he hadn't succeeded. Shirt still in Lio's hand, Galo quickly rose and resumed his seat so Lio could relax and let go. Gueira still pushed a foot against him, but didn't shove him all the way off.

Meis took a deep breath, and repeated Lio's words. "Three days?"

Lio explained his conclusions regarding their immediate timeframe and recommendations for managing next steps within it. They kept glancing at the visible bruising, but Lio resolutely ignored it and continued on, demanding their attention on the topic he was addressing. If they used today for preparation and planning, Meis and Gueira could head out tonight and take the following couple of days to make a world circuit, meeting with the required nodes in their network to set the chain in motion and bring their people to safety. Lio planned to ask the Burning Rescue team for their help in working with the rest of the Mad Burnish in Promepolis to ensure things stayed on track here. Meis and Gueira would be back on day three, well before the next round of, well, _healing_ started for Lio.

"It's asking a lot of you, I know." Lio recognized, addressing his lieutenants. "If this doesn't seem like the right approach, I'm open to other suggestions. But we need to get this done."

Meis frowned. "I don't like the idea of leaving you for that long. We don't _really_ know what's going to happen."

"We couldn't stand it if…" Gueira looked tormented. Lio was surprised but pleased when Galo joined Meis in placing a comforting hand on Gueira's arm, and Gueira seemed to accept it.

"I trust you guys to go in my place, and I know you want to be here… later… for things, and honestly I want you here too, selfish as that is. So, this seemed like the best plan."

"We'll… see what intel we can gather today and make a decision together this afternoon." Meis suggested.

Lio nodded, accepting that for now. Meis stood, smoothing a final soft touch to Lio's wounded hands.

"Guess we'd better get a move on, then."

Gueira, arms crossed, casually extended his leg, pushing until Galo was required to get off or fall. Ensuring Galo wouldn't be the last one on the bed with Lio. Lio tried to hide a smile.

"Come back for lunch?" Lio command-questioned.

"You know you can't keep us away." Meis grinned at last. Then glanced at Galo. "We always need to do extra inspections with the newbies."

"And check in on our rather hopeless boss," Gueira snuggled his cheek briefly in Lio's hair, a hand gently touching his shoulder, before he, too stood. Meanwhile, Meis had gripped Galo by the shoulder and murmured something in his ear that made his face pale as he first shook his head and then nodded rapidly. Then Gueira slung an arm across Meis' shoulder and the two departing Burnish headed for the door.

"The sooner we go, the sooner we're back!" Gueira declared. They turned at the entryway one last time and gave Lio determined smiles. When he returned it, they waved and walked out of the room.

"You're so simple sometimes…" Lio could hear Meis tell Gueira in amusement as they walked down the hall.

"Makes it easier to always be right!" Gueira declared. Meis just chuckled.

Lio's smile softened. He closed his eyes briefly, savoring the feeling of fondness and companionship the two gave him. It was important to be mindful and enjoy such things right now, while he could.

He opened his eyes when he felt Galo pick up his hands. Begin inspecting them sorrowfully as he sat once more facing Lio on the bed.

"I didn't mean… I hate that I hurt you."

Yeah, Lio figured Galo's earlier quietness had meant it was bothering him.

"Seriously, don't feel bad. These are a _good_ reminder, right? They marked a turning point for us. You saved me so we could save everyone." Lio twisted his wrists until he was actually holding Galo's hands, and gave them a squeeze, ignoring the pain as tender muscles tightened with the gesture.

Galo didn't say anything, but winced and flexed his fingers so Lio would relax his, keeping Lio's hands palm to palm against his own. Eyes still tormented, he stared again at the inescapable marks of their conflict and his method of resolution.

"We're trained to restrain without causing harm. We're not supposed to hurt people. Especially not-- I especially don't want to hurt you."

Lio chuckled softly, brushing his palms softly forward against the decidedly larger ones until his fingertips rested against the thinner skin at Galo's wrists, feeling his pulse. It became unsteady as Galo lifted his eyes back to Lio's face in response to the tender gesture. Galo likely didn't know, but this was an act of trust among the Burnish, a way they had been able to connect their fire more intimately. Lio offered his smile, small but deep, as he leaned slightly forward.

"I don't think any training prepared you for me, Galo Thymos."

Galo's face went absolutely still. Yet something changed dramatically. Lio was trying to read the meaning, but was distracted as Galo firmly clasped Lio's wrists and broke eye contact. He lifted the smaller hands.

Focusing first on Lio's left hand, he brushed his lips gently across the tender skin of the knuckles. Lio felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. Electricity seemed to crawl up his ribcage and bury itself in his neck and cheeks as Galo performed the same action on his right hand. Lio couldn't have moved his arms if he tried.

Lio's heart was already doing double-time as Galo drew even closer, releasing his hands so he could guide Lio to turn to the side. With one hand, Galo oh so gently lifted his hair, twining his fingers in the rich layers. He ran his other warm, textured hand tenderly over the bruising across Lio's shoulders, pushing the shirt aside to give access. His fingers shifted direction to trace up Lio's neck as if memorizing the exact curve. Lio couldn't help a shiver at the way Galo's skin grazed over his own, breath catching with no release, vision almost completely blanking as all attention was honed in on touch. He turned his head slowly and looked up wide-eyed at Galo, mouth parted and one shoulder now bare. Galo met his eyes for a moment as if drinking in the scene. The fingers against him trembled. Then those blue eyes broke away as his jaw tightened. The fingers still on Lio's skin pressed momentarily more firmly. Galo didn't move at all for the next three heartbeats, then he leaned forward and very softly pressed his lips to the sore spot just behind where Lio's shoulder met his neck. A quiet stuttering breath escaped Lio.

"There." Galo whispered, "Now it will get better." Then leaned back, letting the fingers from one hand trail across skin as they pulled away and lifted the shirt back over Lio's shoulder. His other fingers slowly filtered through the layers of hair they had been buried in.

Lio dropped limply back against the pillows, an electric current numbing residual pain. Galo wasn't meeting his eyes, but his face was flushed and his eyes wide and dark.

"W-why?" Was all Lio could manage.

Galo swallowed. "Why what?" He asked, a tension in his voice, avoiding.

"Why…" What else could Lio say? "Why do you…help me so much _?" Get so close_.

It was a variation on his earlier question, _why do you keep saving me_ , which he had been disappointed Galo hadn't answered. Because Lio realized he _did_ want to hear an answer, something to indicate that he meant something to Galo. Maybe something personal, not just his duty to rescue others in general. Like... He'd want to stick around _after_ Lio was safe.

Because… Galo, like that sun on the horizon, meant something to Lio.

It had surprised him how much. As he thought of that bright future he craved and was afraid to lose… Galo was in every scene. It wouldn't have seemed whole without him. In all the variations of the future, Galo was somehow a fixed point.

But the only reason Galo was with Lio in the first place was because he rescued people who needed it--and Lio had needed a lot of saving. So what about when that practical need was over? When Lio didn't _need_ to be rescued and Galo didn't need Lio's help rescuing anyone else or cleaning things up anymore, either? Would Galo still want to be there with him?

He didn't think he could keep being pulled in closer if it was all going to end, if he'd have to lose this, move on as usual. It was disconcerting, just how vulnerable he was to this particular pull.

He had a nagging desire for _meaning_ behind the affection Galo seemed to naturally give him. Especially when he was so… _expressive_. Eyes, touch, words, tempting him to believe something more.

Lio found himself leaning forward slightly as he peered more closely at Galo's unreadable face. Did Lio mean something more… or not? He really couldn't tell. Because Galo was just steadfastly _good_. Friend or enemy, he would help anyone who needed it, with _this_ level of dedication.

When Galo didn't have an immediate answer, Lio couldn't ignore the spike of fear that said his concerns were true. So he pushed, just to have it clear, rip the band-aid off and tell his heart to _calm down_.

"I know saving people is your thing, so none of this means--so I understand why you saved me, too. I just... There is a whole city out there in need. Why stay here and help me, why go so far now to help just... me?"

 _Just tell me it's your burning soul's mission to rescue anyone. That you'll leave no one behind or alone if they need a rescue. It's your duty, your calling, your identity. I know that, just say it so I don't-- so I know where I stand_. _How... far away to stand._

"That's not…"

Galo stopped. He clenched his fists.

"You're just…"

He failed again to continue.

Lio scrunched his face in confusion at Galo's struggles. Galo always seemed eager and ready to give a speech about his ideals. So…?

Galo's face was crimson and his voice distressed when he continued in a rush, pushing back with his words. "How could I _not_?! Why did _you_ help _me_ so much? There were so many things, you just knew how to…" Galo dug his fingers in his hair, eyes traveling as he seemed to review memories to find an explanation. "You told me the _truth_ , for no reason, like I mattered, and you helped me… like you just _knew_ me, I barely had to explain about the mech and the matoi, what I needed, and you gave it, you made it all perfect, _how did you know how to do that_ , I could do _anything_ with you there, you just, made me warm even when it was my own fault I was cold, and saved _me_ rather than yourself, and put your fire in my heart, and you were just _perfect,_ always, and you--you helped me, no matter the cost… how do I do the same for you…? You let me join you in saving the _whole world_ … It's definitely _my turn_ to…" Galo finally ran out of steam, and his face twisted. Then he looked up desperately.

"And…" Galo finally locked eyes with him. "I _want_ you." Stopped, eyes so full.

Lio could only hear the heartbeats in his ears, astonished, something ready to burst from his heart--

"--togetbetter." Galo finished in a near panic, panting.

Lio blinked rapidly. He felt like he'd been launched towards the sky, and right when he was about to spread wings and fly, he'd been slammed into the ground. He took a difficult breath, the air seemed strangely painful.

"I… helped you, so you want to help me now?" Lio summarized. That was so…

Transactional.

An obligation.

So then after… It _would_ be done.

He tried not to let the ache show in his face.

"N-no…"

But Galo, exuberant, answer-for-anything Galo, seemed at a loss for words. His face a combination of panic and remorse. Mortification crept across Lio's skin as he realized he was pushing for something that wasn't there and making Galo feel bad in the process. Lio pulled back and pulled everything inward.

"I--I didn't say that right--" Galo took a stumbling start to explain, beginning to lean forward as Lio leaned away.

Lio shook his head and held up a hand, taking a steadying breath. "It's okay, I understand." This was better anyway. If there was no special feeling attached, it would be easier for Galo if things turned out… not the best for Lio.

So why did it feel like his chest still had cracks in it?

"I'd like to rest now." Lio leaned fully into the pillows and closed his eyes, shutting out the tormented look he'd once again put on Galo's face. Grief-laced sleep sank it's claws into Lio and pulled him under as the last of his energy supply drained away.

****

Aina wasn't sure what to do when an almost-sobbing Galo called her from the hospital lobby on her way to work and started babbling about messing up with Lio.

"Galo!" She cut in. "Is Lio okay??"

Sniff. "He's sleeping. The nurse is watching him for a minute."

"Then what--calmly, and in as few words as possible--is wrong?"

"I think I hurt his feelings."

Aina took her phone away from her ear and stared at it. _You have_ got _to be kidding me_.

"Believe it or not, Galo, I don't find that very hard to believe."

It was the wrong thing to say as the idiot on the other end of the line began wailing.

"Galo, stop." She sighed. Despite everything, she adored Galo. And she was becoming ever more fond of Lio. Who now also had her profound sympathy. "I was planning on joining Heris when she came over around lunchtime anyway. How about I order food and we can all eat together out in the hospital garden? You can tell me more when I get there and we can try to cheer him up with some fresh air and company."

"Okay." Galo sounded teary but mollified. "Ah, Meis and Gueira are going to come for lunch, too."

"Great, I'll bring enough for all."

"They… might be mad at me, too."

Aina sighed. "Maybe try not to talk to anyone else until I get there."

"Okay."

"…"

"…"

"It'll be okay, Galo. No one believes you mean anything bad."

"Thanks, Aina."

****

_It was strange to feel lonely when he was surrounded by a whole host of ghosts. But the fear made sense._

_He was still walking on the fire path in this familiar place, but the trail was dimmer now, flickering. He didn't like to see fires die down, they needed to burn ever brighter. He was also still holding that warm hand--more like clinging to it, and that's where the feelings of fear and loneliness spread into him._

_These ghosts, many of them needed the hand he was currently holding. He had his sword in his other hand, and he was fending them off for now._ I still need it! Wait your turn!

_Except, he didn't actually think he'd want to let it go at any point, so it felt like he was lying if he promised to let anyone else have it._

_He stopped walking and tried to imagine it. Standing on this path with empty hands. He was just one of the ghosts, it was selfish to want more than all the others. But… he squeezed the hand tighter. He didn't know if he'd even have this trail of fire without this connection. This hand was specifically important to him, even if the reverse wasn't true. It would hurt to let it go._

Please let me keep it. Just a while longer. That will be enough. Almost.

 _But it_ would _let go of him. Move on to the next one in need. That_ should _be okay… it just wasn't._

_Then, from a completely different direction, a dark wave rippled through this place and carried everything away--the ghosts, the path, the hand, even the warmth from inside him._

_A foreign feeling replaced it all, something pushing against him from all directions. Dark, angry, cold, bleeding._

With a gasp, Lio's eyes snapped open.

Hospital.

But… no Galo?

Another man was there. And it was like that intense dark feeling spilled out of _him_ and focused in on Lio until it seeped into his heart.

The stranger was wearing a uniform marking him as medical staff, but there were just enough little details _off_ that Lio could tell he wasn't. If that hadn't been enough to signal something was wrong, the scalpel raised in his hand would have convinced him.

But it was the terrifying, terrified look in the man's eyes that really fixed Lio's attention. He had been standing frozen, staring at Lio lying there defenseless, as if horrified about what he was about to do.

The moment of paralysis ended. Seeing Lio open his eyes seemed to spur the man into desperate action.

Lio became instinct. And instinct was to summon fire.

It wasn't there.

He barely managed to pull back the hand he had tried to raise in flames before it was completely impaled. Flicks of blood flew from a thin but deep cut across his palm instead, as he dodged to the side and the razor's edge sank into his pillow. Not exactly where his head had been, though. In fact the aim was so bad, the man couldn't have really been aiming for him.

This was an attack of passion without conviction. This wasn't a killer. Just someone lashing out in pain. Which was sometimes the more dangerous type of attacker to face. They were less predictable.

Adrenalin coursed through Lio's veins, giving strength to spent limbs, as he tossed his covers in the man's face. He tracked the flailing arc of the blade and held up his IV line so it would slice through and free him from the restraint. Then Lio leapt easily over the fake nurse's head. In a single, clean, twisting midair move, he tugged the man's shirt up and over his head, effectively blinding him and pinning his arms forward from the shoulder. Lio settled on the man's back, bracing his knees on either side of his spine and reached around to grab his wrist so he could safely pry the weapon from his immobilized hand. Before Lio's fingers fully closed around the man's wrist, though, the fake nurse threw himself recklessly backward. He slammed Lio's back and head into the wall, and Lio dropped limply off him. Because, okay, yes, those still hurt a _lot_ , and being smashed into things did not help _at all_.

Everything swirled and grew fuzzy and the pain and disorientation suggested he release the contents of his stomach. But he held his breath and held it down until the feeling passed and the room began to come into focus. Raising himself on one shaking arm, Lio realized the attacker was gone.

He had no thought of relief, however. If someone had attacked him, it was because he was Burnish. And he wasn't the only Burnish in this hospital. He had to stop that guy.

Lio shoved himself to his feet, and grabbed anything his hands could reach before hurrying to the door. He had to lean against the doorframe for a moment to steady himself, and saw the attacker nearing the end of the hall leading away from the nurses station and lobby.

There was no hospital staff or security in sight. This attack was definitely planned.

But where had _Galo_ gone? Again, without thought he acted on instinct, reaching out to Galo through internal channels as he would have his Burnish comrades in arms.

 _Stupid_ , he admonished. No fire. No channel. He had to _stop doing that_.

Besides, Galo had just… left him there. What good would reaching out now do?

Well fine. He was used to taking care of things himself, anyway. Might as well get back in practice.

He shoved off the doorframe, ignoring the way the hallway tipped to the side. He turned in pursuit, but stopped when the motion caused a fluttering across his chest. He looked down and his eyes widened in disbelief.

A piece of paper with a hastily scribbled note had been taped to his shirt.

_Be right back. --Galo_

There was even a matoi doodle.

He didn't realize how much he hurt until the relief rushed in. Anger, amusement, and incredulity released in a swirl of affection at the sight of a piece of paper that said he wasn't forgotten.

That man. What a dumb way to--

 _I've got your back_.

For now.

Fine. That was enough.

For now.

It would definitely be helpful to have back-up after he caught the attacker.

Lio reached for the note and realized that he was holding a clipboard and ink pen, the items that had been within reach when he tried to arm himself. He knew better than to underestimate even these mundane makeshift tools.

He tore off the note, slapped it on the hallway wall beside his door, and yanked the cap off the pen with his teeth. No time to leave a note and still catch up to the fleeing man, Lio dashed after him, leaving a streak of ink along the wall as a visual pathway.

If Galo came back. _If_ he wanted to help. There would be a trail to follow.

Regardless, there had been more than enough suffering. He was not going to let anyone else get hurt.

*****

Galo sighed and rested the edge of his phone on his forehead. Aina was the best. But he knew he was the one who ultimately had to fix this.

Galo stood and made his way back across the lobby. He hadn't meant to leave the nurse watching Lio for so long. He knew the man had other patients to see to, it was probably holding him up in his rounds.

Galo resolved to use the time while Lio was sleeping to think of better words, and as soon as Lio woke up, he'd explain himself properly. Even if he didn't quite know how to do that yet. He had certainly learned how NOT to do it.

If he didn't think it would draw attention and land him in a pysch ward, he would have been tempted to smack his head into a wall repeatedly. How had he managed to make "you're the best thing ever you mean everything to me and you helped me so perfectly but I can't figure out how to help you please tell me because I want to keep you forever?" sound like Lio was a checkbox on his rescue balance sheet?!

And all that right after he had just… with touches and… his lips still burned, fingers couldn't forget the sensations, and that image of Lio in his hands, guard down, eyes asking what Galo _wanted_ with him--

And then he had asked with _words_.

Meis' warning from the night before came to him now with dreadful clarity. Lio's protector and close confidante had been uncomfortable revealing so much. Yet he made a point to anyway because he _knew_ to be worried, but was choosing to trust Galo. Why hadn't he listened right?! Galo burned with shame and remorse as his memory trail ended with that exquisite vulnerability replaced by a wounded look _he_ created as he left Lio believing he wasn't important--wasn't the only flame Galo couldn't live without.

Galo paused as he neared the end of the lobby, feeling the anguish too strongly to hide it. Knowing when he turned the corner he'd pass the nurse's station and Lucy would be all _observant_. Did he want to talk to her about this? Maybe if he gave a hypothetical (she'd figure it out but pretend she hadn't), she could give him some advice. Or just _words_. He dug the heels of his palms into his eyes.

_Why do you keep helping me?_

It was the dumbest question ever, but it shouldn't be this hard to answer, either!!

If anyone else had asked, he would have said something about how his soul was on fire to rescue people, wouldn’t stop until they were safe. That he cared about their well-being. But there was a different answer there, for Lio. Different from anyone else, ever. Because it wasn't just about this rescue. It was so much _more_.

How could he speak about the _more_ and the _almost_ and the _all of everything_ when he didn't have any words for something so intense himself? It just felt _bigger_ than him, in every way. Lio was just… like that. But in his struggle to explain why Lio was special, how much he appreciated Lio, he had somehow made it sound like a matter of reciprocity rather than… whatever it was. It was _more_.

_Why do I keep helping you? I'm never going to stop._

That's what he wanted to say, but it was too simple, it wasn't clear, it wasn't enough. It wasn't even a fraction of _all of everything_. But… it was a start.

Galo dropped his hands, took a deep breath, and began marching forward again.

This had not been the best start if he was trying to convince Lio that he could need Galo for everything coming up. To get this person who always _gave_ to _accept_ everything Galo had in him. To persuade Lio to let him stay so they could face everything together. Forever. Nothing else would be enough.

He had just stepped into Lucy's line of sight when he felt a nearly tangible pull inside his chest. He stood stock still, a hand hovering over his heart, startled by a message. It was urgent, anxious. _Come_. Like an electric current, there and then not. Before he had even processed it, he was running, heart pounding, back to the room. Back to Lio.

The door was open, but that wasn't unusual. Everything else was.

A cry escaped him as he looked frantically around. Then he lost his sense of hearing and was plunged into absolute silence.

There was _no Lio_.

There _was_ a mess that told of terrifying possibilities. Furniture knocked over. A severed IV line still dripping fluids on to the floor. Covers tossed in a heap. A pillow slashed and spilling its filling. A spike of ice shot through his heart.

And then he saw… a line of blood spatters.

And the silence became a roaring inferno.

His fingers scrabbled against the doorframe as he pulled himself out into the hall, the fire in his gaze frantically searching, his burning soul needing a target to lock on to. Incinerate. There was nothing.

Just when it felt like he would erupt, a fluttering beside the door somehow caught his attention.

It was his own note, the one he had left stuck to Lio, because he never wanted him to doubt for a second that Galo was forever there for him. And next to it, a line of ink that continued down the hallway.

The message was so clear to Galo, it was like Lio spoke right in his ear.

_I left intentionally. Follow me._

_Always_. Galo echoed back.

The pieces of what happened finally connected and snapped into place, and the inferno focused its energy.

Of _course_ Lio would run after his attacker. And of course Galo would run after Lio.

Always.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't kill me.
> 
> #listentomeis
> 
> #ignispopsupandsayshooboyagain
> 
> So, if you're like me and think Lio is being painfully clueless here when Galo's so smitten (super common trope): I think Lio tries really hard not to get his hopes up in general. Life has pretty consistently thrown disappointment and discouragement at him. He tries not to read too much into things based on his own desires--to the point of creating blind spots around his desires and the desires of others. When it comes to hoping for things, he has set a very high guard for himself. Like, he tries not to let himself want something until he's VERIFIED that it's real and achievable. I think he's naturally highly idealistic, which has led him to overcompensate in adhering to realist perspectives. He's an optimist who knows better.
> 
> Next chapter:  
> Uhhhhm. O____O Stuff happens. There’s a chase scene? And then… hoo boy.
> 
> Oh, supposedly you can actually linked to stuff here… so let’s try: [Twitter](https://twitter.com/akadoreengreene)


	8. Follow | Sensitive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't even handle your comments on the last chapter. I was laughing so hard, y'all are really entertaining. Thank you.

* * *

Just about everything in this scenario was deeply familiar to Lio.

Pursuing an assailant in unknown territory.

Unarmed.

Uncertain if back-up was on the way.

Nothing unusual.

He had a process for dynamically assessing his environment and could usually find strategic ways to navigate.

He was usually unarmed… except for his fire. Which admittedly was now a huge disadvantage.

And he always had two trains of thought going--one that planned for assistance if he had gone in with a team. And one for handling things alone, as was often needed.

That last one felt different now, though. Usually he was able to be objective about expectations. Practical. He could handle either alternative.

But in this moment, as he turned the corner out of sight of his hospital room and watched his target push through into a stairwell, he realized he _wanted_ someone to back him up. A certain someone whose presence made him warm and filled him with extra courage. The person who had shown him that _seeking_ that help was a strength.

He had no fire.

His body was moving purely on adrenalin rather than strength.

He didn't know who the next target might be.

He didn't know if he was _enough_ anymore.

But still he ran.

He honestly didn't know how his legs were keeping him upright. He felt detached, as though his body was an idea rather than a solid reality. He _did_ know for a certainty that running on pure adrenalin would catch up with him sooner than later, and it would make him pay dearly. So every second counted.

Leaving a bloody handprint on the door to show the path taken, Lio ran onto the landing and looked over the railing to see the fleeing man two floors down. As soon as Lio had caught sight of him, the attacker was moving towards a nearby door. Wasting no time, Lio vaulted over the railing, taking advantage of his slender build to breeze past the interim flights of stairs in the narrow space between. Once he reached the floor with his target, he landed on the railing with just his feet (ow, that hurt a lot more without shoes), perching with perfect balance on the top rung and facing the man who had the door halfway open. In a blind panic, the fake nurse threw the scalpel still in his hand at Lio.

By sheer coincidence, his aim in this clumsy moment flew much more true than his initial attack.

But Lio had a clipboard.

The scalpel was razor sharp and struck through an inch as it hit the makeshift shield Lio held in front of his face.

Yes, that definitely would have hurt.

The man had turned in the same motion as his throw and bolted into the hallway. Lio leapt off the railing to follow, but wobbled once his feet hit the ground.

Not good.

Also, he had moved between two stories without leaving a trail.

He had a choice.

Someone who looked over the railing could see this landing, and he could leave something behind for them to see and follow.

He had a shield, which had already come in very handy… and a trailmaker.

Every instinct screamed to keep the shield. Every instinct except the one deepest inside, an uncertain flame of hope.

His heart thundered in momentary terror as his fingers dropped the clipboard and tightened around the pen.

His feet felt like they were moving in slow motion as he forced them to push away and pursue the danger, now even more unguarded.

 _This is a mistake,_ the ice inside him cried.

 _Please don't let that be a mistake_ , he begged the flame, as he accelerated once more into a run, pulling the marker along a new wall.

Right or wrong, though, there was no denying that the tool he had kept was futile if it couldn't leave its trail.

The pen's ink ran dry just as he came to a crossroad in the hallway. So he dropped it.

And hoped for a miracle.

*****

Galo had tunnel vision, all he could see was a wavering line of ink against an off-white wall. It might as well have been a trail of fire given how it burned into his eyes as he ran, mind in flaming panic.

He turned a corner and almost ran into a doctor he'd never met before. Galo was already swerving to go around him when the physician pointed to where the line of ink ended and exclaimed, "There's some crazy patient on the loose drawing on the walls!"

The ink had ended!

"Did you see where he went?!"

"Uhhhh…"

"Get security!!" He yelled, reining in a momentary impulse to strangle him for just _standing there_.

Because his eyes landed on something that tore burning gouges into his chest. A handprint made of blood on a door. A very familiar hand, a graceful shape he realized he'd memorized as it had smoothed across his palm less than an hour ago.

He slammed through the door so hard he couldn't slow down before he hit the railing across the platform and doubled over.

The fear he felt seeing the blood on the door was dwarfed by the terror that stole all strength momentarily from his legs at the sight of a scalpel sticking out of a familiar but blood-smeared clipboard two floors below.

Galo didn't remember running down any stairs, but he was suddenly beside that ominous visual cue, and staring at another red handprint on the door in front of him.

He burst through that door as well, and felt a swell of relief at the sight of an ink line on the wall.

 _Please be okay, please_ please _be okay until I get there_ \--

Galo pounded down the hallway until the line on the wall petered out. And there were three different directions he could go.

 _No_!

He spun around, desperately looking for anything--

There was the pen! It was a couple of feet down the hall to his left. He bolted in that direction, eyes scanning everything for any kind of clue, and then he was at an intersection again.

 _No no no--please_ \--

Mind racing, he reached with every sense for a clue, he reached with his heart--

And his feet were moving, pulling him to the right, down a new hallway. Drawing him forward until he was running, until he was _no longer_ running when an inner pull now tugged him to a stop. Two more steps and he was in front of an open doorway.

And there was Lio.

Galo took a ragged breath and released it in something that resembled a sob as he stumbled to the doorway.

Lio had a man double his weight--the _nurse_!--on his knees in front of him, holding him in a headlock with a focused scowl.

And then he looked up. And the dark expression transformed with a kind of disbelief.

Galo watched a grim tension melt from Lio's face as his eyes, heavy with discouragement, landed on Galo. Layers of fear, anger, and disappointment trickled out. An intense moment of vulnerable relief and hope glimmered there instead as Lio scanned Galo's face as if to make sure it was real.

In two strides Galo was in front of them. Without thought, he grabbed the collar of the man he had thought was a nurse and threw him across the room away from Lio.

" _Galo_ \--" Lio began, having let go in surprise. His gaze and posture shifted back to guarded as he watched the man land unceremoniously on the floor.

But Galo's arms were around him in the same instant, pulling him tight to his chest with a desperate strength, cutting off any further words as Lio's feet left the floor and his face was pressed into Galo's shoulder. Galo buried his face into the crook of Lio's neck, struggling to take normal breaths as the fire of anger and ice of fear still battled in his lungs for a few more moments.

Lio's fingers pressed momentarily into his back, returning the embrace. Galo could feel him take a shuddering breath as he burrowed his forehead and cheek a little further into Galo's shoulder.

Then he did the unthinkable and tried to put space between them.

"Galo--" Lio began as the stronger arms refused to yield more than an inch.

" _No_." Galo insisted, pulling him back flush to his chest.

Lio stilled. Then placed a deliberate palm against Galo's back.

"Galo." This time it was a command.

It went against everything he was holding pent up inside, but he allowed Lio to push back and step down out of the embrace. He would never do anything Lio didn't want.

But Lio kept a hand on his arm and his eyes were kind and serious as they held his.

"We're scaring her," Lio broke his gaze to look past Galo's arm.

Galo blinked and turned. Wondered how in the world he had missed that there were two other people in the room.

Two other _patients_. A woman on a bed, holding a small, unconscious girl to her chest in fear.

"Don't hurt them," the fake nurse pleaded.

Galo and Lio turned to look at him where he sat shaking on the floor, tears now tracking down his cheeks.

Lio lifted his chin, gaze sharp, his tone like a blade he was holding at the other man's throat. " _We_ aren't the ones hurting people."

"You did, though!" The man turned agonized eyes to the woman in the bed, and they shared a look of grief.

Lio's brows rose as he began to understand.

"You Burnish!" The man spat out. "You dropped a whole space ship on us! My wife, my little girl… she may not… my little girl…" He grit his teeth and glared at Lio. "I had to fight back. I had to fight for her. Had to fight the ones who hurt her."

Galo was in the man's face in two seconds, fist once more in his shirt. "You-- Lio has been just as hurt as anyone!! And he got hurt _fighting_ the one who _did this_ to you!!"

Galo heard a choked sound of fear coming from the woman. He turned to look, just as Lio stopped walking towards her. She was clutching her injured daughter even closer, glaring with a mix of terror and loathing at Lio. Lio took a small step back, but kept his grief-filled gaze on her, and then the girl.

"I'm so sorry you were hurt."

She stared at him. He looked back to her, offering nothing but sincere compassion in his gaze. Galo knew from experience how deep that went. He saw her face slowly change, a thread of doubt tugging at her defensive anger until it unraveled to grief, and she and Lio were sharing the same expression.

 _He really is miraculous_ , Galo thought.

Then those disarming eyes were on him.

" _He's_ not Burnish," Lio spoke to reassure the woman.

Lio tilted his head, beckoning Galo over to provide comfort to someone who had rejected his.

And Galo hated what Lio was asking, hated that he had to turn his anger aside rather than defend him. Hated that Lio seemed _practical_ about this unwarranted spite, _used to it_.

But between his eyes that Galo could no longer refuse, and the sight of the broken little girl, and the lines of pain in the woman's face, Galo acquiesced. Released the man without a second glance and eased the glare from his face as he moved to check in on the patients.

Lio moved in the opposite direction.

Alarmed, Galo grabbed his wrist as he passed. Lio paused and ran the fingers of his other hand down the back of Galo's and gave him a confident look.

"It's okay, I've got this."

Galo reluctantly let go, but he turned as he walked the last few steps, to keep Lio in his sight.

*****

Lio was finding it hard to hold on to enough anger to keep his exhaustion at bay now that he understood what was going on. More victims of Kray armed with decades of misinformation, directing their animosity at the easier target they were more familiar with. Well, thinking of Kray made it easy enough to summon the anger again, although he tempered it rather than directing it at anyone present.

The man had fallen to his knees when Galo released him, and was now sitting back on his heels in a posture of defeat. Lio squatted down to eye level, just out of arm's reach. He could see that the fight had gone out of this husband and father, leaving a helpless despair.

"You're being selfish." Lio waited until the other gaze met his, sharpened slightly. "They need you right now, and you're on a path to causing them more pain. What happens when you get arrested? They won't have you. I _know_ it's painful and frightening right now." Lio paused, feeling that truth intensely himself, in so many profound ways. The man's eyes widened. For the first time, he seemed to actually see Lio. Lio took a deep breath and continued with conviction. "It _does_ hurt, and it's terrifying, so you need to focus on how to _be there_ for each other. Nothing will change the past, but the decisions you make right now will determine the future you can have together."

The man looked down and tears began falling again. He gave a small nod. His voice was barely audible when he spoke.

"I shouldn't have done that. I don't even know you."

"No. You don't. Remember that next time you want to lash out at a _person_ because you think you understand a label."

The man hunched further into his shoulders, hands coming up to cover his face as he nodded again. He whispered something that may have been an apology, but Lio didn't need it. He leaned forward just an inch as he rose, so he could rest his fingertips briefly against the man's shoulder.

"And don't ever lead your enemies back to your people," he couldn't help adding. The fact that he had known he was being pursued and ran back to what he was trying to protect, exposing them, told Lio how inexperienced this man was at attacks and conflict. And he certainly didn't seem to have any natural instincts in that direction.

Lio really couldn't imagine what it must be like to have your child injured. But he knew how _he'd_ reacted when he hadn't been able to protect those he cared for. He'd just had something bigger than a scalpel to work with.

Thinking of his own averted rampage, he turned back to Galo, who was sitting on the edge of the hospital bed with one hand on the little girl's back, and the other holding the woman's. But he was staring at Lio with a look more complicated than any he'd ever seen on that direct and expressive face. It was unhappy but also intensely affectionate, layered with so many other things.

They broke the look as loud sounds began coming from the hall. Then what looked like a security team and a doctor hurried by, but almost instantly stopped and doubled back.

"Him!" The doctor exclaimed, pointing at Lio, "He's the vandal I saw!"

The security team rushed into the room, but then halted as they got a good look at Lio, who was backing away, already cataloguing potential escape routes.

"Isn't this one of the high profile's we're supposed to be guarding?"

"Yes!!" Galo leapt up, outrage stamped on his features. "Where were you?!"

The leader of the security team examined Lio's state, a look of recognition setting in. He frowned when he saw the ink mixed with blood on Lio's still very bruised hands.

"You're the Mad Burnish leader. And you were drawing graffiti on this property?" He questioned. Glanced to the weeping man on the floor and the stressed patient in the bed, and frowned. "Were you _attacking_ these people?"

"This is what we get for letting terrorists into our hospital!" The doctor shouted from the hallway, as if he wanted the whole floor to hear him.

Lio stopped backing away. Looked at the telltale ink that had leaked onto his hands from his rough handling of the pen. Hands that had clearly been in a fist fight. He looked at the pathetic scene this broken family made. And yes, of course, his own face had been plastered across the news cycle for days when the leader of Mad Burnish himself had finally been captured. They likely wondered why they had been instructed to guard him. He couldn't blame them for their conclusion based on the evidence.

Looking back at his messy hands, he couldn't help it--exhausted tension released and he began to laugh. He'd literally been caught red (and black) handed.

And wasn't this just _typical_??

He glanced ruefully at Galo, expecting him to share in the ironic humor, but his laughter died at the look on Galo's face. Red and practically teary with frustration, Galo stepped in and got right in the guards' faces as they began advancing on Lio.

"Lio is the _victim_ here, you--" But the closest guard cut him off by grabbing his shoulder none too gently and trying to push him out of their way to capturing the Mad Burnish boss.

"Sir, you need to _back off_. If you interfere in the apprehension of a criminal, we'll consider you dangerous as well--"

"Galo--"

Galo jerked his shoulder out of the guard's grasp, taking a step backward, closer to Lio. " _He_ isn't the criminal!" Galo threw an arm wide, both indicating Lio and blocking him off from their advancement. " _He_ was attacked because _you_ didn't do your job and protect him!"

The same guard's face darkened as he stepped forward and faced off against Galo. "It's our _job_ to protect the _innocent_ people in this hospital, not the violent troublemakers who were let in due to an oversight during this crisis that they caused themselves. This criminal should never have been allowed to use our scarce medical resources in the first place, and this destructive behavior is exactly what we should have expected!"

"Yeah!" The whiny doctor called unhelpfully from the safety of the hall with a rude gesture to Lio.

Galo's face had gotten so red by this point, Lio was surprised he couldn't see smoke. "That's a _lie_!" Lio wondered which part Galo meant before he continued. "And _you're_ the one threatening an innocent person _right now_ \--"

Lio tensed, noticing the woman had grown paler with the escalation in aggression, and the unconscious girl's brow was furrowed. The fake nurse was frozen, staring at Lio with a look of dawning horror as he listened to the ignorant, runaway accusations leveled at him. The guard captain had clapped a hand on his subordinate's shoulder, clearly with the intention of calming the situation, but the two facing off were too wound up to notice the alarm they were causing.

Lio stepped just a little closer, his hand up in a cautionary gesture. "Galo--"

" _No_!" Galo glared at him over his shoulder before turning back to the furious guard. "I know for a fact that you were supposed to provide extra protection for the Burnish and especially for Lio! Explain to me how the hell he--" Galo pointed at the man on the floor, "--was able to attack Lio _in his bed_?! THIS--" he reached back and grabbed Lio's wrist, pulling him forward and thrusting the injured, inky hand in the guard's face, "--is what he had to go through to _ask for help_ that should have _always been there for him_! STOP BLAMING THE VICTIM AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY!!"

Lio could only stand there, shocked and uncertain how to react to someone else fighting _for_ him against this social prejudice he had gotten so used to.

 _Don't get used to the help_ , whispered through him, and his fingers flinched. He dropped his eyes, even more uncertain.

But Galo's hand still around his wrist, the way he was standing somewhat in front of Lio to shield him, and the set to his shoulders that said he'd take any of the heat thrown at Lio… made him feel warm. Safe. Not alone. He couldn't help taking another step closer to this solid presence.

Lio's first assailant now rose, stepped forward, and said, "What he's saying is true. I was the one who attacked _him_." He gestured a hand towards Lio with a new look of unsettled apology as he gazed at the lone Burnish in the room. "He was only trying to defend himself." Then he swung his eyes to the captain and openly admitted. "I also… changed the security protocol to give myself the gaps in your coverage."

This caught Lio's attention and he stepped forward, instantly commanding.

"We need to check and make sure all the Burnish are safe and have ample security coverage." He sliced through the suspended argument and drove straight to necessary action. "You--" he gave a stern look to the now cooperating attacker, "--will tell us everything so we can prevent such a breach in future."

The team leader had stiffened and frowned at the news their systems had been tampered with. Then Lio caught his eye and held it firmly for a moment before the captain nodded and gave orders. The angry guard was dismissed from his shift. One guard moved to detain the confessor, another headed into the hall to radio in the instructions for doing a full security review and an immediate check of the Burnish in particular, and a third went to talk to the woman, who now looked exhausted.

Lio could relate. He wavered on his feet and of course both Galo and the security captain noticed. Galo dropped his wrist to wrap a more supportive arm around his shoulders and the security leader nodded to the door.

"Apologies for… everything. You can go--we'll come to you to get your statement so we can press charges--"

"No." Lio paused. His lack of trust in the justice system mixed with his strong instincts about the attacker's motivations now that he understood them. He looked at his former assailant. "No charges. What's your name?"

The man blinked. "Jon."

Lio raised a brow at being given a first name. "Okay. Well, Jon is voluntarily and immediately submitting himself for psych observation and requires counseling for himself and his family."

The security chief kept his face stoic, but there was respect in his nod to Lio.

Jon went to his wife and held her and his daughter. They wept with relief and the release of sorrow after anger, and the chief gave them a moment.

Lio took one last look at the little girl and whispered an inner prayer. Then he wrapped his fingers in the waistline of Galo shirt for additional balance and walked out into the hallway, still nestled under Galo's arm. Galo seemed to have contained his frustration, but Lio could still sense the heat of it under the surface. Galo began to move in the direction that would take them to the elevators, but Lio halted and began grilling the security guard about the protection for the Burnish. He wasn't about to leave that to chance again. When he was satisfied with the update that reported all was well and had secured detailed promises for the additional measures he thought necessary, he finally let Galo pull him away.

Oh… he was truly at the end of his strength. Black was beginning to creep in at the edges of his vision.

_Just make it back to the room just make it back--_

Nope, that goal was too overwhelming just now. Break it down.

 _Make it to the end of the hallway, make_ \--

Nope.

He didn't even remember falling. It was like he had jumped moments and now he was limp in Galo's arms, cheek pressed to a heartbeat that was going too fast.

His eyes didn't seem to want to stay open. With the fluttering attempts he made, he saw they were already moving back into his room. Galo was talking to someone he called Lucy in a tense voice, and her replies were full of gentle sympathy. Another brief moment of sight showed her setting down all sorts of supplies. She asked if she could help, but Galo just requested she leave.

He felt Galo sit and prop Lio upright, leaning sideways against his chest. Lio sighed and relaxed, content to let his eyes stay closed because he liked this position. Just about everything hurt, and his hand felt like it had a spike through it running straight up his arm, and his head was mush, and his stomach had grown queasy again with the strange pressure at the back of his scalp. But his cheek fit just right against Galo's shoulder, tucked beneath his chin. The strong arm wrapping around him gave him the deepest sense of safety. All was well.

Wait.

Was it?

Galo didn't seem at ease. Lio could hear his heartbeat still racing and his breathing was off. Trembling fingers lifted the wrist of his injured hand.

And Lio remembered there was something he himself had been afraid about before. He remembered the feeling but not the cause. What was it? Slowly, sluggishly, his mind rewound.

Oh yes, he'd been attacked. The Burnish were in danger.

He tried to sit up further and forced his eyes open.

"I need to go…"

Galo's arm tightened around him.

"You need to rest." Galo's voice sounded so strained.

"I need to make sure they're alright. I've been away from them for _so long_." Lio didn't know how that mournful tone crept into his voice.

He felt Galo's cheek press into his head, the larger man taking a couple of deep breaths before he replied with gentle sorrow. "They're okay. You protected them. They'll be so glad to see you when you've rested a bit."

Lio leaned fully against Galo again. He was grateful to know the Burnish were okay, but that whisper of fear didn't leave. Where was it coming from?

Regardless, with the reminder of his people, the desire to see them burned in him. So when would he be able to go…? Something about time nagged at his mind. Oh! Yeah. Three days. Maybe that was the afraid thing. He'd better hurry.

But he couldn't even keep his eyes open.

Okay. Everything was about rationing now. If he took a little time to recover now, he'd have the reserves to spend time with them later. He wasn't waiting any longer than today, though.

"I'll go tomorrow." Lio concluded.

Galo said nothing. But his hand released Lio's wrist and smoothed the hair out of his face, tucking it behind his ear as the fingers continued back until they were wound deep in the layers at the nape of his neck, holding him gently. It was strangely soothing despite the tenderness of his scalp.

He pressed closer to Galo.

The fear got stronger.

On a shaky exhale, Galo's cheek pulled away and his hand left Lio's head, instead moving to lift his wrist again.

Lio opened his eyes. Galo was staring at his hand, which admittedly looked pretty gross. The cut, already deep, seemed to have expanded and was filled with… blood and ink and who knew what else. Oh. Yeah. It would need to be cleaned and stuff. Actually, he really didn't know since he'd never had to use anything except fire for this kind of scratch before.

Still, that wasn't where the scared feeling was. But looking at his hand… looking at Galo… yes, it was somehow related.

Thoughts of fear were pushed aside as Lio saw an emotion take hold of Galo's face and sink deep roots as he stared at the wound. A seed of anger deepened into fury. The soul-fire Lio always admired in Galo's eyes turned into a raging wildfire.

"Oh. You have a dragon."

Galo's eyes turned to him, still alight. Lio knew dragons hurt when they were devouring you.

"I _am_ angry." Galo confirmed, shortly.

"Not at me…" Lio already was pretty certain that was true, but just to be sure…

Galo huffed a breath as he closed his eyes and shook his head, bringing Lio's hand up to cradle it at his chest.

"No."

"If you fix my hand, I can hold the dragon for you." Lio offered. He'd like to return the favor.

Galo shook his head again, fingers pressing into Lio's wrist. But then, Lio's permission granted, with a look of grief and a grit of his teeth, Galo moved into decisive action.

There was a bowl of warm water, and soaps and disinfectants and tubes and bandages and _things_. Lio watched, fascinated, still trying to keep his eyes open long enough to take everything in. His whole arm tingled when Galo put some kind of gel across his palm, concentrating it especially around the cut. It was strange, his skin was going numb but he also felt things more acutely at the same time. He wasn't afraid, but… as Galo finished arranging things and shifted Lio into the right position to work on his hand at the table, Lio found himself explaining something he had never told anyone before.

"I feel too much in my hands."

Galo paused.

"Only Meis and Gueira know because they figured it out." Lio flexed his hands a bit. "I don't know why they're so sensitive, it's really inconvenient. They're _hands_. Might be a Burnish thing… I don't remember if it was like that before. Usually wear gloves, that helps."

Galo had frozen.

"Go ahead, though."

Galo's forehead plunked down on Lio's crown and he vehemently uttered a string of curse words that Lio was absolutely shocked Galo even knew.

Then, as if to avoid thinking about anything further, Galo strengthened his grip, lifted Lio's hand, and plunged it into the soapy, disinfecting water. The cleansing fluid flooded his wound.

And Lio was suddenly very awake. With a choking sound, his toes were pushing against the cabinet beneath the table, pressing his back against Galo's chest, and pulling against the grip on his wrist. He stilled after that initial reaction, panting. Galo hadn't made any further move, but he also didn't let go or let Lio pull his hand back. Both of their breathing patterns had grown irregular.

"Go ahead," Lio commanded around clenched teeth.

And Galo began _scrubbing_ at the wound with some kind of bristly sponge. Lio's head flew back against Galo's shoulder, eyes screwed shut, jaw locked, pressing backwards as every scrape against his hand shocked through all the nerves of his body.

He said a silent prayer for every non-Burnish human who had ever had to go through this kind of thing in order to heal.

 _Heaven and hellfire_ \--

Why was this taking so long, wasn't it clean already?! It had been _hours_.

He tried not to make any noise or squirm because Galo was chanting, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" nonstop and sounded like he was the one feeling this pain.

By the time he was done and lifting Lio's hand from the water, Lio was shaking. But his lips were pressed together and he remained silent.

Galo's hands were impossible, because nothing that strong and solid should also be able to be so gentle. They were guiding whispers as they dried Lio's palm and fingers, applied a perfect line of surgical glue, and somehow managed to stick tiny butterfly bandages as reinforcements to keep the break in the skin closed.

By the end, Lio's heartrate had calmed, but he could still feel Galo's racing. Having completed the procedure, Galo circled his arms fully around Lio and turned his back to the table. Facing the other chair, he drew his feet up to rest on it, bending his knees up so he was now completely curled around Lio with his body. Cheek once more resting on top of Lio's head, he began rocking gently.

Lio relaxed against him fully as he waited for the hypersensitive throbbing and tingles in his hand and arm to diminish. A warning lance of fear whisked through him again, but he was too _tired_ to figure it out.

He stared at his hand, vibrant red with irritation and an unnaturally straight line cutting across the curved organic ones. This was the first injury he'd gotten _after_ the Promare left. It would probably scar and stay with him forever. It was a strange thought. He stared at this line that was now part of him _permanently_.

Unlike the person who had done the repairs.

Lio stiffened.

And _there_ it was, the fear he had forgotten.

Oh yeah.

Galo was temporary.

Galo paused and shifted his cheek as he felt the change of tension in Lio's body.

Lio's mind raced to catch up now that he remembered. Temporary didn't mean everything was bad. He still trusted Galo to help him when he _needed_ it. Just as he had today. He just had to be careful not to need it too much or expect anything else. He knew Galo cared about people, easily got close to them, and Lio was someone he was determined to help. But for Lio, letting someone in, letting someone this close… it was personal to him. He had to be careful not to get too close so that the letting go part wouldn't break him.

And right now Galo was _so close_. _All around him_.

It was already hurting.

Despite a new mountain of fatigue that arrived with the fear, Lio pushed out weakly, trying to break the hold that had felt so comforting just moments before.

Galo gasped as if realizing something. He loosened his grip.

"Your bruises, I should have--"

And indeed, the physical pain he had forgotten also came back with a vengeance.

Lio tried to explain it away so he could _get away_ , "I just want to go rest--I just need--"

And everything went very fuzzy. He hovered in limbo, trying not to feel too much as he listened to a heartbeat that he could actually hear _inside_ , where he stood on a path of flames. A path that now had an inertia that was almost _alive_ in its persistent pull.

He pushed back. And then everything went dark.

****

_Lio was very confused. The place was familiar. The path was kind of wobbly and flickering, but familiar. But he kept looking for something. He couldn't remember what. And then he did remember--he was looking for that warm hand that used to hold his. And he searched, scanning the path, gazing out to where the horizon should be. He couldn't find it. And then he saw his own hand... And the one he was looking for was right there, he'd been holding it the whole time!!_

_How strange._

_He walked in some measure of calm again for awhile. And then he realized he had lost something, and needed to look for it._

_And the cycle would repeat._

_The start and stop was making him really nauseated. He needed to get out._

_But first he had to find the hand._

_Oh there was one. It was a nice one, and it was on his shoulder, but it wasn't the right one._

Lio blinked slowly. Pushed back the other place and came fully present. He realized there _was_ a real hand on his shoulder. It was strong and comforting.

It belonged to Aina, smiling in welcome as he rejoined the conscious company. Which currently consisted of her, Galo, Heris, and his doctor. A quick glance at the clock on the wall showed almost noon.

Heris and the doctor were standing past the end of his bed, listening as Galo gave an update. Lio focused back on Aina, who was studying him.

He was definitely a _lot_ more sore than when he had first woken up this morning. And his head felt squishy.

"Hello," he started, then cleared more of the sleepy rasp from his throat. "Thanks for the ice cream."

She sat down in the chair next to his bed. Where he had somehow ended up again. Those details were fuzzy.

"Hi. Anytime. Got a whole picnic prepared once we wrap up here with Heris."

His eyes widened at the idea and he sat up a little further, ignoring aches and pains, a buzz of excitement catching as his imagination started getting ahead of him. So far, Burning Rescue treats had been _experiences_ he'd remember forever.

She chuckled, and there was a warm affection in her gaze that surprised him. He tried to clear his thoughts so he could converse better.

"What was I doing?"

She raised a brow. "Sleeping."

He raised a brow back. " _Before_ that."

The amusement in her face sobered. "You were attacked and hurt." She touched his hand briefly, and he realized it was wrapped in bandages now. He didn't remember the bandages part. Looking back to her face, he was again surprised by her expression. Galo wasn't the only one with a burning soul. Her eyes had their own fierce glow at the moment and it wasn't a happy one.

"You're angry," he realized.

Her gaze remained steady. "You shouldn't have been attacked."

"I'm okay."

"Great. But you shouldn't have been attacked. So yes. I'm going to be angry about that."

His first instinct was to ask why, but he had a feeling that might come across wrong.

"That can make you tired," he cautioned instead.

Aina expelled a breath with a half smile and a shake off her head.

"So I'm learning." She looked away and studied her sister with those fire-eyes. Lio wondered if she was angry _at_ her sister or angry at what Kray had _done_ to her sister. Probably both. That _did_ sound exhausting.

Heris, Lio noted, looked decidedly less ragged than she had before. He found he was relieved about that. He kept his voice quiet as he asked, "Is your sister doing better? She seemed to be carrying the weight of the world yesterday and not taking good care of herself."

Aina looked back at him, disbelieving. "Why yes, Mr. Pot, the Kettle is doing better today after a little _enforced_ rest."

Lio stared speechless at Aina, amazed that he'd let himself get so thoroughly _owned_. He was glad Meis and Gueira weren't here to see that. He fought a rueful smile.

Aina chuckled and added, "Thanks for asking. How about you? When I talked to Galo earlier this morning before the attack, he said he was a bit of a jerk to you. Not on purpose, I'm sure, but he _can_ be frustratingly clueless."

Lio thought about the clarifying conversation they'd had and tilted his head, confused. "He wasn't a jerk? A little… hard to understand, but… honest."

Aina was carefully watching his face, so he maintained a neutral expression. For some reason, that seemed to make her narrow her eyes in suspicion.

"It's funny, I thought you'd be harder to read than Galo." She sighed and looked to the ceiling, then simply said, "Don't expect to understand Galo the first time he says or does something. You might think you're totally understanding his intention and then he drops you on your ass and goes running off after some random fire in the sky." She paused, her aggrieved expression changing to a look of dawning revelation as she shifted her eyes back to Lio. "Or I guess… maybe not so random. Hah."

Lio just stared at her, bewildered and wondering what he was supposed to be understanding from this. It sounded like… she was confirming that Galo quickly moved on after providing support. Was that it? A warning not to get attached?

She smiled and shook her head at herself. "Sorry. Point is," She leaned closer to talk more discreetly. Lio's eyes widened at her proximity. He instinctively leaned away an inch, then stopped. Reversed and actually scooted closer with a focused look of curiosity. She seemed to suppress a smile at his reaction and began talking in a conspiratorial tone, "It's _because_ you know he's so direct and honest, you think you can simply take things at face value. It's not like he's _trying_ to mislead, so it's easy to think our normal assumptions are part of that truth. But Galo tends to operate with an entirely different set that no one would expect. So he's telling the truth, but in the end, you may be deceived! By his honesty! How does that man do it?!"

Lio's lips parted, stunned. It was ridiculous but so true, he realized. Lio broke into laughter, and Aina joined him, their heads still close together from their hushed conversation. So she was telling him not to _assume_ anything, especially with Galo. Good advice all around. That's why he had bothered to ask the questions in the first place. Otherwise he _would have_ misunderstood.

The other three in the room were now looking at them, and Galo's eyes were shifting between the two, noting their proximity. Aina got a devious smile, eyes sharpening. Then she whispered, "Cheer up. Watch this reaction," and gave Lio a deliberate kiss on the cheek. He could feel his face flush from the surprise gesture.

Galo looked like he'd been hit by lightening. His whole body tensed up, face flooded with red, as he started sputtering and pointing at them.

Oh. Lio's eyes widened as he looked between Aina and Galo and back again. Were _they_ \--

"No!" Aina said with maximum exasperation at his expression. " _Really_?! That's it, you're both so stupid, you deserve each other." She stood and stomped scowling over to her sister, hooked an arm through hers, and pulled her back over to Lio with a "Let's get this over with."

Why did Lio always feeling like he was missing something around these people?

"H-how are you feeling Mr. Fotia?" Heris asked.

Lio shook off his confusion and raised a brow. "Well enough, Ms. Ardebit, just tired for the reasons you explained last time. And you can call me Lio."

She seemed flustered at this. "I don't think--after everything I--"

"You're helping us now. That's what matters." He didn't know the whole story, but he could see the pall of Kray Foresight over her, just like Galo, and that was enough to earn his pity. Plus, she was the one who destroyed Kray's plans first, and was now the only researcher facing up to what she'd done and helping the Burnish, so she had a measure of Lio's respect as well.

Heris stared into his eyes, searching. Her expression started fragile but moved back to the resolve he had seen in her previously.

"Lio." Heris took a deep breath and looked down at her notes, gathering herself. Aina touched his shoulder with a sincere look of thanks and he smiled at her concern for her sister.

Galo's eyes started darting between the two again, his shoulders bunching, and with a roll of her eyes, Aina removed her hand.

"I've managed to replicate the formula and personalize it to your body. You're... A very interesting example. The characteristics we identified, your potential for channeling energy, truly is exceptional. I have high expectations that this will work." Her smile was confident and gave all present hope.

A weight began to lift off Lio's heart, and he pressed his hands into the covers, trying to control it. _Careful now..._

"I'd say a safe dose is once every eight hours. I would expect to see a return to normal energy levels after 24 hours."

Galo gave a glad shout and looked like he would cry, and Lio exhaled a relieved breath. That was promising, if not a guarantee.

"That's perfect," Lio stated and explained about the three day timeframe. "That should give me plenty of time to recover and get things done before anything else happens."

He _would_ go see the Burnish tomorrow! He could feel the happiness bubbling up, erasing physical pain as it spread through him and lit a smile on his face.

"We've used this technique with success on some of the other Burnish, but remember that it's still experimental, and everyone reacts differently--" Lio's doctor began, clearly trying to temper their hopes a bit.

"Understood." Lio cut in, and held out his arm.

Heris shook her head but smiled and in under 20 seconds, it was done.

Aina grinned. "Well, a watched _Pot_ never boils, and I want lunch," she quipped, nodding to the door to indicate they should get on with picnic plans. As Aina shared this inside joke with him referencing their earlier banter, a little thrill, a sense of human connection, flickered through Lio. Delighted, he offered a personal, knowing smile in return.

But while she maintained acknowledging eye contact with him, it wasn't him she addressed next.

"Stop it." Aina commanded with a pointed finger at Galo, without even having to shift her gaze. Lio turned but missed whatever expression she had been correcting. Galo's eyes had been fixed on him, though, and his face now bordered on sulking.

"Everyone already knows to meet us out in the garden, " Aina said, checking her phone. "And looks like our squad just arrived. We'd better hurry." She turned to the doctor. "Can we get a wheelchair in--"

But Galo cut her off as he strode up to Lio.

His gaze was intense, determined but uncertain. "I can… carry you." Galo offered a hand, a touch too slowly to be truly confident, as if bracing himself.

Lio's memory of the path and his search for the hand came back to him sharply, and he surged forward to clasp Galo's and hold on before he lost it again.

He stared at their joined hands, his unconscious decision, and then up into Galo's face. Galo looked so relieved, Lio was glad he hadn't thought long enough to make any other choice.

Galo quickly detached Lio's IV and reached around his shoulders and legs, easily lifting him from the bed. Lio threw an arm around Galo's neck to secure himself as Galo supported his weight on his arms so Lio was able to sit upright, lower torso propped up by Galo's chest and shoulder, temporarily taller than his handler.

"Doing okay up there?" Galo asked, smile brilliant. Lio couldn't help returning it and said the first thing that came to his mind.

"The view is pretty nice."

A line of pink spread across the bridge of Galo's nose.

"Good _lord_ ," Aina groaned, while Heris just looked entranced with stars in her eyes. Lio began to turn red as he realized how that sounded.

The doctor simply said, "Make sure you're safe." Without batting an eye.

Galo, with a new hope for recovery and arms full of Lio, radiated joy.

"Don't worry, doc, I'm really strong. Lio is safe in these arms! While we're together, I'll make sure he has protection!" Galo kept grinning.

"HAH!" Aina burst out.

"Shut up!" Lio cried at Galo, red as a tomato as he gave Galo's hair a sharp yank before leaning a forearm across the blue head and burying his flaming face. "Just go."

Aina roared with laughter as she marched out of the room, leading the way.

"Okay," she declared, "The rest of that stupidity was worth it for this moment alone."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lio was so close to understanding what Aina was trying to say with her advice… and then he just missed it completely. DUDE. They're so DUMB.
> 
> We are all Aina.
> 
> Hmmm, we keep seeing flickers of the heart sync. More to come.
> 
> Next chapter we get to see the fall out from today's events and everyone's together for a picnic!! I wonder what they'll do. I wonder what they'll talk about… It's actually the longest chapter yet and once again, pretty dense. Pacing is hard and weird.  
> Building on this chapter, the external world starts to come into focus again. Nothing's ever simple, is it?  
> Also building on this chapter… Leader Lio comes into focus for Burning Rescue.  
> Also, Lucia is wicked.  
> Also Meis and Gueira DEFINITELY need that spa day already.
> 
> Hope everyone is well and staying safe. I know things are hard right now. Someone commented that reading this was helping them, and that was just amazing to hear--I hope this provides a pleasant escape for all readers!
> 
> ******  
> Behind the scenes drabbles, skip all the below if you don't care about writing:
> 
> So, going to be vulnerable for a sec here because I know it helps me when I hear other creatives admit to their struggles.
> 
> It's been really difficult recently to feel okay about this project.
> 
> I think it's cuz I calculated how much time I've put into it since October and was rather shocked I'd moved past the 500 hour mark (I go deep on story development and revision every step of the way). Like... every insecurity you can probably imagine exploded on me, from being too slow to wasting too much time on something unimportant. I'm guessing most people experience this on a long project?
> 
> Those are still loud in my head, but three things keep me going: 1. I have a freaking amazing beta reader/editor (Spectrospecs) who is also volunteering her time, and I'm just incredibly humbled and grateful. She makes me determined to do my best on this, even if I whine about it (which I do). 2. Remembering that this is my own choice, and if I was willing to put this much into it, it's obviously important to me, at least, and I shouldn't dismiss that. It's okay to like doing something just for it's own sake. Plus, I'm trying to develop a new skill, and that takes time! 3. Everyone who shared a reaction or an in-depth look at their reading experience (those are like a shot of serotonin) or popped over to [Twitter](https://twitter.com/akadoreengreene) to say hello or provide encouragement--thank you for letting me know that this meant something to you, too. I know it was just, like, a blip in your day, but it helps me feel like there is value to doing this. I'm not a numbers/metrics person, it's the glimpse of human connection that brings me joy.
> 
> So, when the Voices of Reason tell me this is insignificant or foolish, you, dear reader, help me keep going so I can be more okay doing something I love. Thanks for hanging in there all these months.
> 
> Hmmm...  
> I'll take this chunk of self-anger that's still lurking and imagine it's a dragon. It can sit here with me while I write and glare at it. Eventually, I'll tame it and then it will be good company.
> 
> Creative projects are so interesting.
> 
> Oh, okay, it occurred to me that admitting it's taken me hundreds of hours to write this may be discouraging to someone who is thinking of writing their own story. Please do not think this is the norm. I think most fic writers sit down with an idea and just start writing. Maybe have a basic outline and then have fun with it and make something great. In fact, I recommend that approach. It's still hard work, but I think the reader experience payoff to author investment is probably way greater.
> 
> I had a different set of personal goals-- I wanted to learn and practice intentional story development. So I spent about 30-40 hours in the concept stage, then took all those ideas and outlined around a 3-act story structure with defined character arcs. Tried to plan out the basic pacing, information delivery, build up and payoff, etc. And then I drafted the whole thing. Revisions (20-60 hours per chapter), which I initially resisted, have actually been the meat of the project, and helped solve a lot of the tensions I had with various things. It's also more than doubled the length. Even though it's been a ton of work, I'm glad I did it. The results are definitely not perfect, but I'm learning a lot along the way.
> 
> I'm trying a more streamlined process for my second project (posting the whole thing in May, yikes), and it's really hard for me, haha! I just did an outline, basic character summary, and scene breakdown before going into quick-drafting (ahhhh, sprint writing!!). And I'm only giving myself 3 weeks for revisions. This is giving me anxiety. But I'm trying.
> 
> Keep growing. :D


	9. Sun | Flower

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kindness and the supportive comments when I was feeling down last time! Existential crisis aside, hearing your thoughts and experiences gives me fuel. I'm really glad if this story has brought you some happiness.
> 
> My goal is to post chapter 10 this week, too, and it's loooong. It's also the one I had the best time writing and have reread the most. You'll see. Heh heh heh.
> 
> Chapters 11-13 are one final arc, so I'm going to try to post those close together, too.
> 
> 14 is a (huge) epilogue. ;_; So we can have a smooth transition to the sequel, if I can gather the courage…
> 
> Anyway. On to the picnic!

"I checked the weather, it's a really nice day out! Sun's blazing, and everyone's coming!" Galo declared, oozing positivity that tried to encroach on Lio's sullen silence.

Lio didn't shift from his slight frown and didn't look down at the man carrying him elevated in his arms.

He kept his eyes on the Ardebit sisters walking a little ways ahead of them, giggling and tossing glances back at the two guys.

Galo was going to have to use a much better conversation starter than the weather if he wanted Lio to talk to him again anytime soon. They had clearly fallen into some terrible conversational twilight zone where talking led to people getting the wrong impression about the two of them.

"Not that it's not already nice in here with you," Galo spoke with a quieter warmth that pulled Lio's eyes to him despite his resolve. The soft heat in Galo's gaze threatened to melt right through the guard he was trying to build at the moment.

Lio scowled.

See?! Those words, that look, it would have been all too easy to give them deeper meaning, read too much into them. Especially since something inside him stupidly wanted to. He kicked that feeling as far down the inner path as he could, wishing he still had fire so he could just burn it to a crisp. Started again on the wall.

Lio _already_ felt like he was two steps behind everyone right now, and he blamed the ache in his head and the overexertion from the morning and the way Galo's arms made him feel so conflicted as they carried him.

"Hospitals are never nice," Lio tried to quickly end the conversation, relieved to see they were almost at the exit to the roof.

Galo got a stubborn look and opened his mouth to retort, but then abruptly stopped walking as he glanced ahead. Actually took a step back as he saw the now intense conversation between the two sisters in front of them.

One more step back, and Lio realized Galo was trying to give the women some sense of privacy.

Lio's own troubles began to seem trivial as he watched Aina plead with Heris to stay for the picnic. Heris gently but firmly turned her little sister down. As the scientist turned and walked away down a different hall, the speed with which hurt turned to resignation in Aina's face said that she had lived this exact scenario a thousand times before. She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and spun around, walking through the doors without a look back.

Lio peered down at Galo, who was now wearing an understanding, sad expression. Realized he was compassionately giving Aina a couple seconds head start before he moved to follow her. Because that was Galo.

That warning pang hit him again as his heart involuntarily thawed towards the one holding him. He sighed, already weary from this struggle against himself, as Galo pushed the door open with his foot and looked up to make sure Lio had safe clearance through the doorframe.

But then all gloomy thoughts instantly evaporated as Lio emerged into a completely different world. Emotional strain, physical pain, mental weariness--all vanished as soon as the sun hit him.

He was never meant to be in a cage. Freedom was everything. And the sun had always released him, at least in spirit.

Some far corner of his mind scoped out the rooftop: taller than most buildings and covered with grass, a thick enough border of plants along two sides to qualify as a serious garden. He knew exactly how he would use this space in a stealth or combat situation.

But Lio's whole being was captivated by the blinding sun and the clear fresh air that erased the smell of antiseptic, filled his lungs, and seemed to expand into his soul. He didn't know if it was Heris' medicine already kicking in or the brilliance of the light or the breeze that swept his skin and lifted his hair, but Lio felt a radiant warmth, a sparkling electric current race through his body. He threw his hands up as high as they would go. Reached to the sky, head thrown back, smile that couldn't be contained, and laughter that flowed out as if it always had.

"So beautiful," Lio managed breathlessly between laughs as he noticed the rich hue above. He could almost imagine he was touching that sky as he looked through his hands--they could no longer carry him up there, but the whole expanse was brighter, deeper. Fresher than he'd ever seen it. The heat of the sun sank swiftly into his palms, even through the bandage. He may be reduced from what he had been--body broken, hands and heart empty of fire, small and earthbound--but in this moment what he lacked didn't matter. The sun could still reach him here, where he was. As he was. It was just as close as ever.

" _So_ beautiful." There was a hushed awe to Galo's voice.

Lio looked down to see Galo looking up. Somehow, even in this intense daylight, Galo's eyes still glowed with their own core of fire, bright enough to be seen even against the sun. Combined with their blue depths, it was like the entire sky was contained in that steady gaze. Breathtaking. The sun could indeed reach him here. Maybe it was even closer than before.

"Isn't it?" Lio twirled his still-raised fingers as if they were wrapping in the scattered clouds. "It's like it's a whole different color from before."

Galo's eyes shifted a bit to the sky. "Oh. Yeah."

"Galo!" a hand grabbed his shoulder, jerking both of them to a sudden halt.

Galo had almost stepped right on a stack of containers. "Not the food!" Varys sounded scandalized. Then looked to Lio. "Hey Big Boss," he released Galo's shoulder and instead held his fist out so casually, Lio returned the bump somehow without even thinking about it. "You're looking great. Oh, sorry 'bout that," Varys concluded as he noticed Lio's bruised hands.

O-oh. All of Burning Rescue was here.

And they had just seen him act like a grade schooler.

He sat up straighter and smoothed his shirt with his hands, trying to regain a mature composure. But… they were all smiling at him, without a hint of condescension or mocking.

"Yes, much better" Remi gave a nod of greeting. "Those bruises can't be fun, though. Hopefully they'll heal as quickly as the last."

"They're not bothering me," Lio hastily assured as he felt Galo grow still and rigid. He absentmindedly placed a hand at the base of Galo's neck.

A Burning Rescue comms drone hovered silently over Remi's head, apparently recording, and he was checking the feed on his phone screen. With a satisfied nod, he pocketed his cell. His sly smirk was a bit concerning, but Lio realized a recording of the picnic would indeed prove useful later if the day went the way Lio wanted it to…

Lio felt Galo's arms pull him ever so slightly closer as he looked uneasily between the recording device and Remi. Then Lucia grabbed his attention, marching up to Galo and giving Lio a calculating look. After a moment, she shrugged.

"No choice!" She spun on her heel, holding up her phone briefly with a chat screen on it. "Gueira and Meis are going to be here in a few minutes, too. It must be done," she declared as she marched away, heading towards the beautifully cultivated garden. Lio couldn't help another delighted smile, pressing his hand against Galo's shoulder to stretch even taller for the best view as he noticed the vibrant colors of the many blossoms. He took a deep breath and sighed it out when he caught the perfumed scent. He really did love gardens. Flowers in particular had been an intensely rare luxury for most Burnish settlements, but he had always been drawn to them.

"You can go look," Aina smiled up at him "While you get some of these on those bruises." She set a stack of soothing patches in his lap as well as a blanket and a small first aid kit that he was surprised he hadn't noticed her carrying. " _Galo_ had it all prepped for you," she explained deliberately, words addressing him but she put her hand on Galo's arm, giving her teammate a meaningful look and jerking her head in Lio's direction as if she wanted Galo to say something. Galo tilted his head, as puzzled as Lio about what she was trying to prompt.

With a scowl at Galo, she looked up at Lio instead, her tone turning both flatter and more emphatic. "He wanted to make sure you were taken care of and comfortable. It was important to him." Lio raised a brow and stared at her in concentration, trying to puzzle through to the conclusion she was clearly trying to make. But he already knew Galo was considerate, so…? She sighed in irritation. Apparently giving up, she turned away and grabbed a side of the large blanket Remi and Varys were about to lay down.

Remi gave her an amused smirk. "That was way too subtle to work."

Aina kicked him in the ankle.

Lio shook his head and let his attention take in the rest of the details of the scene. It looked like there were enough mysterious food containers to feed an army. Lio knew the Burning Rescue team must have been working incredibly hard the past several days, and he was amazed that they had taken time out for something like this. Making space for recharging and reconnecting during an extended crisis took strong, thoughtful leadership. He looked at Ignis. Ignis raised a brow at his look.

"You guys can start, I'll wait for Meis and Gueira," Lio suggested.

"It'll take us awhile to set up the spread," Ignis responded, crossing his arms. "We'll eat _together_ once _everyone's_ here. You go take care of that." He nodded to the care supplies in Lio's lap and shifted his glance to include Galo in his instructions.

Lio couldn't identify what swept through him at Ignis' words, but he sat a little taller and a tentative smile tugged insistently at his lips as he was… included. Ignis gave him a small smile and nod in return and the mysterious feeling intensified. Galo was grinning as he watched the exchange and he sent Ignis a meaningful look that puzzled Lio. He wasn't used to finding it this hard to read people. Or himself. The off kilter feeling returned.

He needed to refocus.

"I _knew_ you'd like the garden!" Galo exclaimed up at Lio and turned to follow Lucia. Lio tugged on his hair to stop him. _Not_ just as an excuse to get his hands in the blue bunches again, although he was glad he thought of it, because it was perfectly _delightful_. Soft, and floofy, and dense, and his hands were _singing_. But he couldn't get distracted.

"I want to go see the city," Lio explained at Galo's questioning glance. He tugged Galo's hair in the opposite direction to indicate the side of the roof that faced the majority of the city under repair.

Aina sighed _again_ and looked at him a little sadly. "You _could_ just enjoy the flowers for a bit."

Lio stared at her.

Then gently tugged Galo's hair again toward the damaged city. Galo looked up at Lio thoughtfully. His eyes held an _understanding_ , but also a determination to negotiate. "We _will_ go to the garden _after_." He decided, and began walking in the direction Lio requested without waiting for an answer.

Lio did want to see the flowers. But it had occurred to him that this picnic was an opportunity. Everyone most critical to his plans for the next three days--and after--was going to be here together, possibly for the last time before… things. He knew better than to waste that, when the fates of his people and his friends were at stake. Not even for _flowers_.

So, focus on the goals. Three of them.

Goal One: He needed to make his final hopes for the Burnish known without it seeming like an obvious last will and testament sort of thing. He had steered them wrong before, but for better or worse they still sought his counsel. This time of transition would be hard, and he hated that he may not be able to stand beside them and help, especially considering he had caused much of the harm. His heart had so many things it wanted to say, wanted them to keep believing for their future.

Goal Two: He needed to understand what the Burning Rescue team would be willing and able to do--the Burnish definitely needed allies and they had precious few options. He trusted this team more than any other Unlit around. Every direct experience with them convinced him that at a minimum they were the least evil option. They'd backed the Burnish at the Parnassus. Based on Meis and Gueira's reports, they had been invaluable to their cause in the days since. He wished he could turn off the unease and just indulge in gratitude, but it wasn't so easy to immediately change the feelings he'd spent years learning to heed. His stomach swirled when he thought of asking for their _help_ , but it's what his people would need, simple as that, so he'd do it. Trust was hard, but as usual, he needed to be a good example.

Goal Three: He wanted to help align people on a path to healing. He had an idea for a good first step.

And Promepolis was key. So as they got closer to the edge and Galo began shifting him so they could sit on a bench nearby, Lio strained to see even more of the city below.

"Stop squirming."

"I want to see."

"So use your eyes, and stop squirming!"

Lio glared at him. Then stilled as he recognized an edge of pain in those sky-like eyes.

"I don't want to hurt you again."

Lio could hear the notes of weary strain in Galo's voice, robbing it of recent joy, and it stung like a swipe of claws. He stopped resisting and let Galo control their movement as he sat and carefully settled Lio in his lap, facing him away so he had access to Lio's back. Lio didn't know how Galo did it, but those impressive hands missed all the sore spots across both sides of his torso.

Taking care of the bruises seemed like a time consuming distraction, though, when he had more important things he wanted to be doing out here.

"Why didn't we do this before, back in the room?" He tried not to make it sound like an accusation.

"You wouldn't let me." Galo's voice seemed too quiet to be so clear.

Lio blinked. So he _did_ have a memory gap. He furrowed his brow and tried his hardest to remember any scraps that would explain Galo's wounded behavior.

He... did remember pushing Galo away and insisting he just let him sleep. But that wasn't--

_Don't touch me so much! Let GO!_

His own voice, pained and panicked.

Lio bit his lip. Had he said that out loud? And gone back to his instinct to refuse help again?

Lio slowly turned his head and studied the unusually serious face that was avoiding his gaze. Yes, there was hurt there again. Urgh.

"I was just… tired."

"Mm." Galo's face didn't change. But now that Lio had stilled and found a stable balance, he let go.

Lio immediately felt the loss.

Okay, that was the fourth major goal for the afternoon, the one he was least confident about based on his short track record. Stop getting so attached to Galo.

"But also don't be an ungrateful jerk," Lio muttered.

Galo's eyes connected with his momentarily. "What?"

"Nothing." Sigh. "Thank you for helping me with this."

Trying to move past the awkward moment, Lio untied and shrugged out of his shirt so they could apply the patches and get back to the others. He scooted forward to create a little more space for Galo to work on his back while he tackled the front, giving his heart time to recover.

Fortunately Lio also had the city view to distract him. Preoccupied, he peeled the backing off one of the patches and applied it to a particularly tender bruise low on his ribs. After an initial throb, it did ease the ache and he gave a sigh of relief, moving on to the rest as he gazed out beyond the roof.

It was the first time he had really seen the city since those few minutes immediately after the protective world burning.

It was pretty extraordinary, although he refused to give Kray any of the credit. He knew Promepolis had been built with new technology and construction methods to suit the post-world-burning reality. Designed from the ground up to withstand extremes of seismic and volcanic activity, in addition to Burnish fires. He doubted the builders had expected a giant spaceship to be dropped in the middle of the city, but the measures in place against natural disasters had certainly reduced the damage he would have expected from the past week's destructive activities.

It looked like only the buildings in the immediate wake of the ship had suffered foundational damage, and even those were surprisingly intact, even if they weren't necessarily upright anymore. They hadn't collapsed inward and crushed all their occupants. The greatest damage actually seemed to be the jagged path the freeze canon had torn across the city on its way to the volcano. He knew the Promare burnout had thawed the encasing ice, but he hoped most people had found a way to survive in the interim.

He also knew most of the world's other remaining cities had been retrofitted with the Foresight Foundation's building tech, which he suspected had been developed and launched by Deus Prometh long before his murder and the establishment of the foundation, if what he recalled of the rebuilding timeline was correct. But no one remembered such truths when the greatness of the Foresight Foundation swallowed up credit and provided the relief of a hero to meet the public fear.

Still. He knew the clean up efforts here and worldwide were substantial, and there was no way there weren't significant casualties. His hands stilled for a moment in their task as he thought of Jon and his family. How many more families were like that--or had been even less fortunate?

He didn't want to just forget their suffering, he wanted to know how everything turned out, what happened to them. He hadn't asked the woman's name. And that little girl...

Thinking of them brought Mari and the other Burnish children to mind and his eyes sought out the buildings he knew were currently housing them. He had memorized where they were on the city grid. He found the residential towers, and a strange thrill went through him when he actually got to _look_ at the place he wanted to _be_.

He vaguely remembered he had made a decision to visit them the next day. That at least still seemed like a good idea, especially since he could feel some strength returning already. If this treatment kept working, he was going to find a significant way to thank Heris.

Speaking of, he turned to ask Galo more about the sister situation--but the words died on his tongue as he got a look at him. Lio sucked in a startled breath as he realized he hadn't felt Galo apply a single patch this whole time.

While Lio had been studying the city's landmarks, Galo had been paralyzed, mapping the markings across Lio's slim body.

A horror had settled deep in Galo's wide eyes, his jaw locked, fingers fisted in the cloth covering his legs. He wasn't even blinking as he continued to trace his gaze slowly over Lio's skin.

"Galo," Lio spoke gently, hand coming to rest on one of the straining fists.

"It's worse," Galo hoarsely choked. "They got _worse_ while I was supposed to be watching over you." Galo gulped in a breath when he ran out of air and continued, finally clenching his eyes closed. "I promised I wouldn't let anyone hurt you and then I was the one--"

Something was tearing, Lio could feel it. Breaking, in his own chest, in Galo's face. Unlike his bruises, this wasn't a small wound.

Lio didn't think; his arms were around Galo's shoulders and resting a comforting hand on the back of his neck before Galo could finish his sentence. Because self-preservation and fourth goals be damned. Galo was hurting.

Of course he was. If rescuing people gave Galo the greatest joy, causing harm would do the opposite. He was used to protecting people, and through no fault of his own, Lio had come to harm.

Galo sucked in a stuttering breath, but almost immediately grasped Lio by the upper arms and broke the embrace.

" _Stop_ ," he insisted, looking at the patchwork of bruises across Lio's chest that he had ignored, pressing against them as he completed the gesture.

Lio put his own hands on Galo's biceps.

"It's _okay_. They're just bruises. They'll be healed in no time." Lio tilted his head trying to catch Galo's eyes and put as much persuasive honesty into his voice as possible. "You're taking good care of me."

"No." Low, fierce conviction.

Lio didn't know how to fix this.

"Let's... get Aina to do this part."

_"No!"_ Pause. "I want to make it right... as much as possible."

Lio sat back, and Galo released his grasp.

"A little pain is part of life. You _are_ helping me. Just like what you did with my hand."

Galo paled at the memory, his lips tensing further. Lio winced. Maybe not the best thing to bring up. He quickly picked up the patches and placed them in Galo's hands, face taking on a look of confidence and strength that he wanted to see reflected in Galo's.

"I _trust you_ to help me. And I don't trust just anyone."

For some reason that made Galo look even more dismayed.

Clearly Lio's attempts at providing comfort were having the opposite effect. He was just not able to read anything correctly today. Which meant his assumptions must be off somewhere. But where?!

Maybe just getting Galo active again was a first step.

Lio turned around again and tapped a spot on his shoulder.

"Start there." He commanded. It seemed to work.

But his own pulse doubled as he finally felt Galo's touch, gentle fingertips signaling where he was going to place the first patch.

Okay, he really needed to work on that fourth goal. He tried to pick back up the strands of resolve.

But he couldn't stop tracking Galo's movements now that he was aware of them, and no topic could claim his mental attention long enough to forget one touch before the next.

Galo placed tender fingers on each spot, providing the subtle comfort of connection and a signal for where Lio could expect to feel a patch next. But there was a tremor in those normally steady fingers. Stealing a glance at Galo's face, Lio could tell he was cataloging each bruise, each place he had stuck, his eyes speaking volumes of sorrow for the harm he had caused and the additional damage that he hadn't prevented.

So Lio felt particularly chagrined when he let his focus momentarily falter as he gazed at Galo, and, guard down, he flinched as the next touch landed on that spot just behind where his shoulder and neck connected. The spot that had crashed most directly into the wall as his attacker flung him backward. It had apparently left an especially vicious bruise. Galo's fingers quickly lifted.

It was also the spot that Galo had...

"I don't need you to kiss it better!" He blurted out before he even registered the terror that stuck him.

Galo's eyes snapped to his. Lio was more stunned than Galo at his own words.

Galo paused for a long, suspended moment, grief and remorse taking on new depths, and Lio broke the gaze and spun back around, unable to bear looking at him. When Galo spoke his voice was raspy.

"I didn't mean things the way they came across-- I'm sorry for what I s--"

" _Don't_ apologize." Lio's shoulders hunched forward.

Somehow that would hurt worse than the meaningless kisses in the first place. If Galo apologized for them. Pitying him for being affected by them.

Lio realized as long as he didn't turn around, he didn't need to keep the misery from his face, just his voice.

"Really, it's fine."

Then Lio could tell Galo had leaned forward because his voice was suddenly much closer to his ear, responding to Lio's question from hours ago, speaking the words gently and so deliberately, it was a plea to be believed. "I'll always be there to help you."

Lio pressed his lips together.

"I know."

Galo kept proving it. Just like everyone else Galo rescued, if Lio needed help, Galo would be there. If nothing else, that gave him a rare sense of safety in the midst of his current physical vulnerability.

Lio could feel Galo's breath ghost against his neck before he sat back and began applying patches again.

Fourth goal fourth goal fourth goal. _Think about something else_. Not the distracting warmth of fingertips whispering over his skin so gently they didn't cause pain even to the inflamed bruises beneath them. It was like Galo had found a way for his fingers to do the kissing instead.

_Stop thinking about kissing_ , he commanded himself, mortified.

He HAD to think of something else!!

The Burnish! Yes, that's what he should be focusing on. He made the voice in his mind almost audible in it's planning ramble, trying to drown out his own loud heartbeats and the strange sense of anticipation he began to develop for each place Galo's fingers found.

He _was_ going to be with his people tomorrow. He began a mental list of the individuals he'd seek out first, then started rationing out his time to different subgroups and tasks--he definitely needed to check security himself. He kept extending the time by an hour until he had an unrealistic 12-hour plan. Damn. His guys would never let him do that. Maybe it would just _have_ to be two days. He found himself scanning the windows of the Burnish shelter buildings, imagining what the people inside were doing even though he was too far away to see anything. He felt like thousands of strings were wrapped throughout his chest, pulling him towards the people he loved. He leaned forward as if that would help him see more clearly. And then, just as he realized he'd overdone it and began tipping forward, there was a warm pressure on his stomach.

Galo had avoided the bruises across his chest and placed a stabilizing hand where he could to prevent Lio from falling over.

Lio froze.

There was no instinct to attack.

If anyone else had touched him in such a vulnerable place, he would have felt threatened. They'd have already been on the ground. Instead he just sat there and let it continue for another moment. Until Galo reached his other arm around him a little lower, and found enough leverage to pull him back to a more secure balance across his lap.

"You're going to hurt yourself," Galo chided, then went silent as Lio placed a palm over the hand still pressed against his waist.

"Believe me, I know." Lio murmured, eyes downcast. Galo seemed to lower _all_ his barriers. He let his hand trail across Galo's as he pulled it back and cleared his throat, straightening further while the heat crept up his neck. When Galo finally removed his hand, several long moments later, the air felt colder against Lio's skin than it had before.

Fourth. Damn. Goal. Lio. Fotia.

Lio cast about for a way to break the silence and avoid further thoughts about how Galo could affect him so much as he continued to tend to the bruises.

"You've lived in Promepolis your whole life?" Great, starting bland smalltalk wasn't an _obvious_ attempt to cover up awkwardness. Didn't just call more attention to it, nope. Lio rolled his eyes at himself.

But Galo went along with it. "This city has been my home my whole life."

Lio felt something strange in his chest at the way Galo said _home_.

"You have family here?"

"Yes, my parents. They died in the fire."

Based on Galo's profile in the Mad Burnish's arrest plan, Lio had actually known that. But the way Galo claimed them as the family he currently had here made Lio feel it in a different way.

A flash of ice swept through him.

He suddenly realized the implications of Kray's declaration that he had started that fire.

Kray had _killed_ Galo's family.

And then pretended to replace them in Galo's life. Just to make himself look good.

And then tried to get Galo killed.

And then mocked Galo with all of it.

Lio's throat grew so tight, he couldn't breathe for a moment. Horrified, he pulled stinging eyes away from the city to study the man continuing to minister to his wounds.

He knew what betrayal and abuse felt like, especially when it was personal. And what Kray had done was on its own level.

A firestorm of rage began to build behind the cold dam of horror.

Galo, having just placed the last patch, paused as Lio turned even further and reached out a hand. Galo's expression opened to complete vulnerability as Lio's fingers came to rest directly over Galo's heart.

It was there. Whispering just below the surface, as he tracked Galo's heartbeats. Painful cracks, deep ones. Held in stasis for now, but there. The ice in Lio broke into searing fury.

Before Kray had betrayed his fellow Burnish, he had betrayed Galo. In so many terrible, personal ways.

Lio didn't think it was possible to hate Kray more than he already did for harming the Burnish. But his loathing took on significant new dimensions as he fully understood what the evil man had done to Galo.

And yet everytime Lio had tried to attack Kray, Galo had protected the corrupt governor. Galo must have really loved him. Even as he felt a wave of heartbreak on Galo's behalf, Lio was enraged that Kray had something so precious and treated it as something worthless. Despised what Lio would have cherished.

He hated Kray all the more for making him envy a monster.

The idea of breaking out of the hospital and into prison to hunt Kray down did not seem as crazy as it probably should have. It was only a lifetime of practiced restraint against overwhelming instincts that held Lio back from _action_. Just barely. He had to promise the dragon he'd do it later.

Galo's eyes had widened as he watched Lio's expression. "Lio?" His voice was hesitant, clearly trying to read the source and direction of Lio's sudden fury.

Fighting to pull the dark anger back from his face, Lio's fingers drifted up to rest on Galo's cheek, furious, stunned eyes meeting the puzzled, worried ones.

How had Galo turned out so good, so giving? Taken his pain and created pure hope from it. Beamed it out to everyone around him. Shone it into the despair in Lio's own soul.

_He really is miraculous._

And on top of _everything_ , this city--this was his _home_ that Kray had broken again. His people that Galo had sworn to protect. All that damage and pain…

And he was stuck here with Lio. Who had also attacked the city, tearing through its streets and burning its buildings.

With nowhere else to go, the fury swiftly turned inward and settled to shame, for causing harm and then wanting _more_ than others got from this flame of hope. For taking Galo away from _his_ people, just as Lio had been forced to separate from the Burnish.

He felt his stomach curdle at the sour taste of his own selfishness. He forced the words out.

"You should be out there helping the people of this city. There's far greater need than mine. I'll be fine on my own for the next few days with the hospital staff checking in."

He tried to ignore, wouldn’t even _name_ the feelings that wanted to swallow him at the idea of being separated from Galo so soon.

It would help with the fourth goal at least.

Rather than relief at his suggestion, Lio noticed a flash of pain in Galo's eyes for some reason. But it was quickly replaced by a clear fire of resolve, a deep burn that twisted Lio's insides.

"I'm where I should be. With you."

_No_! That was just _unfair_ of him to pull Lio like that when he was trying so hard to do the right thing and let him go.

Instead he kept making Lio want to keep him more. Want to protect him. To never let him go. Everything just kept pulling him closer and closer, when he knew he should be going the opposite direction.

He had started this whole topic as a _distraction_ from this feeling, but the conversation made it worse, led him deeper!

A desperate voice began an insistent rant in his head, trying to turn shame into blame.

It was just _unfair_ of Galo to be so… Galo. To make him believe so much in _good_. That the world could be transformed because someone like Galo was in it. And that _his_ world might experience the same, if Galo was in it.

But that wasn't going to happen.

So it was _unfair_ of Galo to pull so relentlessly that Lio couldn't resist, wanting to hold on tight and not let go. He _knew_ better. You don't pretend _always_ when what you have is _for now_.

Lio paused, irritated on several levels at his own internal voice.

Galo was giving him a look of pleading persuasion to back up his earlier statement even as he clearly tried to read Lio's silence. Raised his hand and placed his fingers over Lio's where they rested still against his cheek.

Walls crumbled to dust and a giddy new line of logic pranced right on through.

Actually… he may not have always, but _for now_... isn't that exactly what he had? Three days was as "for now" as it got!

Did he _really_ need that fourth goal?

Maybe just for three days… he could enjoy being enveloped in this presence, could pretend it was for always… that couldn't be too dangerous, right? Eeeeeven if there was an unlikely _after_ "for now", if more than three days became possible, It's not like it could get _harder_ to let him go than it was now, right? Did he have to struggle with it _right now_ when he already had so much else to face?

It was so tempting. Sitting on Galo's lap, somehow still tracking the rhythm of Galo's heartbeat, their overlapping fingers starting to entwine, Lio could just… move in a little further and hold on. Fall into that warmth. Let it fill the emptiness. The gravity of the sun and the relentless tug of the void combined to an almost irresistible force, pulling him in…

Freaked out at how strong the pull was, how easily self-indulgence had taken over with just a look and touch from Galo, Lio frantically shoved one of his unmovable core ideals to push back like an overclocked rocket against the deceptive gravity.

The whole world may be built on lies, but you don't lie to yourself.

All his life he had been submerged in a sea of deceit, but he always made sure he was honest with himself. And thinking of Galo's perpetual honesty just made him feel ashamed for considering the lie in the first place.

So _no_.

He would survive Galo's company as best he could while remaining firmly grounded in reality. No playing pretend.

He straightened, dropped his hand, and shook his head. He could do this. He had identified the problem inside of himself and was more than capable of guarding against it. He _was_.

He didn't try to read the look in Galo's eyes as he pulled back.

Fourth goal reinstated.

He'd hold the hand while he could and let go when Galo was needed elsewhere. And not lie to himself that it would be any other way.

Yes. Goooooal number four. _Remember it_.

Since Galo had fortunately already finished covering Lio's back, Lio slid off his lap with a brief "Thank you," and sat beside him on the bench as he shrugged back into his shirt. Heris' treatment was definitely already having an effect because Lio was fully able to support himself.

Lio stared out one last time at the scar from the ice streaking across the city and felt it's echo inside. It almost felt like two echoes. It was hard to ignore.

But he was good at toughing things out.

He may just dislike the number four for the rest of his life, that's all. Three was more than enough for him.

Speaking of. The other two members of his leadership trio had just arrived. _Thank the eternal pyre_.

"Boss!"

Their expressions of relief as they looked at Lio quickly turned furious as they zeroed in on Galo.

"We leave you on duty for _one morning_ and--"

"No." Lio's voice snapped through the air, his eyes glowing like ice over fire. He had thrust an arm in front of Galo as if a physical gesture could block their verbal attack.

They halted a few feet away, unexpectedly broken from their advance. He knew they were just protective, and he was grateful, but there were times that those reactions could cause harm. Considering Lio struggled with protective rage himself, he understood. But he wouldn't let Galo be collateral damage. Especially not when he was already doing such a thorough job of beating _himself_ up.

"It wasn't his fault. You know that." Lio's tone was steel.

As Lio's edge forced them to consider the situation, the misplaced animosity drained from their expressions. But the anger, and the fear it cloaked, didn't, and now they didn't know where to direct it.

Okay, he would need to work on that. Goal zero. Because he had four goals, and he needed their help on all of them.

*****

Galo had one goal.

When he started this day, he had thought it too simple. Not enough.

Meis had given him this goal explicitly and he had just skipped ahead.

And failed at this most basic of basics so profoundly all morning, he now clung to it with a single focus.

Don't hurt Lio.

But Lio was acting like it was don't-hurt-Galo day. He almost couldn't stand it.

To be honest, Galo would have liked someone to yell at him, chide him for everything he'd done wrong. It would get the voices out of his head and into the open air where he could rage along and then release them.

This whole day had just been a series of terrible consequences for Lio as a result of Galo's mistakes. Galo had taken one look at the injuries he had inflicted and used them to hurt Lio's heart. Then he left him defenseless--he could have been _killed_ \--he _had_ been wounded even worse! And then all he could do to help was essentially torture him where he was already hurt. And just now! Lio was _layered_ with injuries, and yet he had turned around and tried to comfort _Galo_ , who had just frozen up when he should have been helping. Wound his arms around him, ignored his own pain, and tried to console him for _his own errors_.

How did he keep hurting Lio? And how could Lio turn that around and protect _him_?

It was so backwards. He didn't blame Lio for trying to get rid of him. But it just made him more determined to prove himself. He wished he could tell Gueira and Meis everything and have them scream at him for all the ways he had failed and then tell him how to make it right. His shoulders slumped as the Mad Burnish attention instead shifted away from him to fully focus on Lio.

"You really got injured again? Already?" Meis' voice was tense as a bowstring.

"It's _just_ a scratch." Lio held up his palm.

"I don't think that's what they call it when a scalpel slices you open, Lio." Galo stated, pushing his face closer to the Burnish boss for emphasis. Lio gave him an annoyed look and elbowed him back, but Galo wasn't going to let him brush this off. Part of don't-hurt-Lio was making sure Lio didn't act like he wasn't hurt.

"Shit. And your _hand_ of all things," Gueira groused sympathetically. Then started, glancing at Galo as if unsure if he'd revealed something secret.

One look at Galo's face told them he definitely already knew about Lio's peculiar sensitivity.

"That must have been hell," Meis stated, fingers on Lio's bandaged hand, but his eyes stayed on Galo in understanding.

_You have no idea_ , Galo responded with just his expression of remembered agony. He was pretty sure having to intentionally hurt Lio now topped the list of things he would have nightmares about for the rest of his life. Meis' commiserating look deepened.

"I am definitely attending that asshole's trial." Gueira scowled, cracking his knuckles.

"There won't be one, I didn't press charges."

Their outrage lit their faces on fire and it was all too easy for Galo to imagine what their dragons would have looked like.

"What the HELL!?" Gueira eloquently demanded.

"You just let him go?!" Meis looked at Lio like he was crazy.

"He won't hurt anymore Burnish," Lio waved a dismissive (injured) hand.

"Oh, well that just makes it _alright_ then!" Gueira's tone was scathing as he caught that hand and held it up, gesturing to the bandaged wound. "No harm done!"

"He was just in _pain_ , and he had a family to take care of," Lio pulled his hand back, glaring.

Meis planted his fists on his hips. "How about from now on you let _us_ decide what to do with people who hurt you. You're definitely not an objective judge."

"And you _are_?" Lio's confrontational gaze flicked back and forth between them.

They crossed their arms, frowning deeper as they broke eye contact. Lio's serious face shifted as a thought seemed to occur to him.

"Maybe that should be your job," Lio murmured in a hushed voice with an inflection of humor, tapping Galo's arm with the back of his hand but keeping his eyes on his lieutenants. "You care about everyone equally and could be objective."

Galo's face dropped into a glower that matched Meis and Gueira's, with an additional bitter twist from knowing that Lio would assume he'd be _objective_ about someone hurting him. Lio's face shifted again as he continued to study his two stressed comrades, who had both thrown a wince in Galo's direction at Lio's words.

"I'm feeling better." Lio's tone was conciliatory. He flexed his arms out in front of him, raised them up, testing. They looked stable and didn't shake at all. His usual poise returned to his posture, all noble confidence and strong, elegant lines. "I think the treatment is working already."

Their glares returned to him but slowly eased at the hope offered. They unwound further and gave him looks that said they totally knew he was changing the subject but were relieved enough by the news to let him.

As if to build on the positive display, Lio gracefully stood on his own. He immediately stopped, his knees locking and face giving the subtlest twist. Meis and Gueira narrowed their eyes. Then Gueira's flattened.

"Boss. Did you jump down a stairwell again?"

Meis looked down at his bare feet. "Without _shoes_?"

Lio looked like he was trying to formulate a smooth answer, but Gueira just reached out, put his hands under Lio's arms and lifted him clean off his feet. Plunked him back down on the bench despite his protests, and then he and Meis were kneeling, each grabbing a shin and lifting. An ugly, black bruise a couple inches thick cut across the arches of both his feet.

"Boss!" Gueira admonished.

"You're going to break your feet again, and now it'll take a hell of a lot longer before you're mobile!" Meis had a pointed severity to his voice. Galo knew he was desperate for Lio to quickly learn how to be more cautious with his own safety.

And Galo couldn't help leaning forward, really paying attention. Because Meis and Gueira were _doing_ it, protecting Lio. He needed to learn their ways. They had been able to read Lio's pain, assess its cause, and call him out in a matter of moments. His own success rate with that had been spotty.

"I just forgot, okay!" Lio indignantly lifted his chin.

"Forgot what?! That you're human??"

"I forgot that I didn't have shoes! I forgot--I forgot that I didn't have _fire_!"

And there was a flash of real fear across Lio's face, a glimpse before it was gone and buried again.

Gueira sighed and placed a tender palm to the bruise on the foot he held. Meis looked at the ground and placed a hand on Lio's knee. Lio knotted his fingers in his lap and kept his back stiff. After a few moments, Meis looked at Lio with none of the previous accusation.

"Try to remember in future, Lio. We can't put you back together anymore." Meis leaned forward and rested his forehead against Lio's knee.

Gueira put a hand on Meis' back and looked up at Lio. "We'll help. We all need to… practice, y'know? How to be doing things now." Then Gueira gave him a half grin. "And you need to set a good example, like you always do, Boss. _That_ may help--to remember we're following you and what you do." He cradled Lio's foot. "What would you have wanted _us_ to do if we were in your place?"

Lio's eyebrows rose and he looked into the distance, clearly thinking about it. Without needing to look, he put one hand on Meis' head, still bowed, and the other reached for Gueira until they were holding hands. After another beat he looked at them again.

"I'll try," he promised.

Galo released the breath he'd been holding and mentally reviewed his observations, fully appreciating the Lio 101 lesson the lieutenants had been unaware they were giving.

They had seen and hadn't backed down. They had reasoned, meeting Lio where he was and affirming his values. They had shown they personally cared and reminded him of their interconnected well-being.

He would never remember details like that in the moment, but these kinds of insights tended to get absorbed into his instincts so he could trust them more. He felt the first trickles of confidence returning as he more fully understood some special requirements for being Lio's caretaker. And he thought he knew what the final step was. Things had gotten far too heavy. And dwelling on his failures wasn't going to help anyone. He'd feel them forever, but he couldn't give up. And he couldn't let them give up.

_I'll try_ , they had gotten Lio to promise.

"That's all we can ask," Galo grinned at him, realizing it was true for both of them. Lio gave him a half-smile in return. Meis and Gueira also looked up and Galo handed them each a small soothing patch. With grateful looks, they took them and carefully applied them to Lio's sore feet. The tension in Lio's back relaxed.

Then Galo stood and scooped Lio up again, declaring, "There's no better medicine than good food!"

Lio grinned fully in relief as Galo's good cheer broke the mournful mood. "And good company!" Lio exclaimed, raising a fist in the air.

Gueira grabbed Meis' wrist as they stood and lifted both their arms in the air. "The best company!"

Gueira's enthusiasm caught Meis, who laughed and finished in playful exaggeration with a sight roll of the eyes, "In the whole world!"

****

Lio kept his four goals on his mental short list. Communicate hopes for the Burnish. Gain team allies. First step toward healing alignment. Resist Galo.

But he had to admit--picnics were delightfully distracting and everyone needed that right now. So for now, he was going to indulge and go along with it, looking for the right moment. The shared happiness was too great to willfully withstand.

When Galo set him down on the blanket, he took a moment to appreciate that the lawn wasn't like the ones he had seen flying over Promepolis previously. Or maybe that was just because he was now looking up close. There were dandelions and clover and tiny plants with purple flowers scattered throughout the neatly trimmed grass. Scrappy weeds that hung on through the mowings and added variety to the green velvet. Lio really liked them.

Lucia marched back just then, carrying her lab coat full of larger flowers from the garden. He let his eyes drink them in, cataloging the ones he knew, trying to memorize the shapes of the ones he didn't so he could look them up later. She began talking to Meis and Gueira as if they had been in the middle of a conversation. Lio remembered her referencing their phone chat and realized they probably were. And then the other team members effortlessly joined in.

_They'll be alright no matter what happens to me_.

It was mostly a relief. Just the whisper of a desire to be part of it to mar his more altruistic feeling. And a counter instinct to separate further. An old guard that he could acknowledge was no longer necessary in this case, but he couldn't turn away from entirely.

Any feeling of distance abruptly vanished as Galo reentered his space. Lio's eyes widened just a fraction when Galo not only sat right beside him, but leaned his weight on an arm propped on the blanket directly behind Lio. Galo didn't force any direct contact, but the support was offered in every way possible.

_Fourth goal_.

Um. But. Sitting up for a long time unsupported would be taxing. He wanted to maintain as much of his returning energy reserves as possible, for the other three goals. And those ones were _time sensitive_. Soooo, it would only be _responsible_ …

With a little flare of heat traveling from his neck to his face, Lio very casually closed the last inch between him and Galo, letting some of his weight transfer to Galos side, his shoulder blades finding a comfortable way to press discreetly into Galo's arm. He risked the quickest of glances up at Galo, who was replying to Varys' question about whether he needed a plate and fork. Galo began grinning, unnaturally happy to be answering a question about cutlery.

Meis and Gueira even muted their knowing looks as they sat close on Lio's other side and began enthusiastically exploring all the containers. And then all three Burnish became completely absorbed in the full extent of the bounty unfolding before them. Dishes from a variety of cuisines provided a staggering array of options--spring rolls and curry, tabouleh and dolmades, bacon mac and cheese, Korean fried chicken, tamales, stuffed peppers, and on and on. Somehow, new containers and options kept finding their way in front of the overwhelmed trio who were furiously trying to keep up and fit small portions of everything onto quickly overloaded plates, not wanting to miss anything. It became a race to eat fast enough to have room for each additional offering while still savoring every novel experience of a mouthful. The Burning Rescue members had each brought some of their favorite food orders, and while they eagerly explained about each dish they had chosen, they weren't prepared for the sheer enthusiasm they received as the Burnish sampled and described to each other, to the team, to the sky, all the wonders of each bite. Gueira had gotten downright teary and started talking to the food as if it could hear the praise, and Meis began speaking in haiku to capture the moments. Lio closed his eyes at almost every new bite and he eagerly began trying mini combinations of everything, hands regularly making extra little gestures that revealed his excitement. Remi hadn't stopped filming.

"This was such a good idea," Varys murmured to Aina, and the rest of the team nodded in agreement.

"Everything tastes better than usual today!" Galo beamed as they basked in the sheer joy of their Burnish guests.

"It _does_ ," Lio agreed earnestly up at him, then held his drink out to Aina with an air of bewilderment. "What _is_ this??"

Her eyes twinkled in amusement. "Boba tea."

Lio pulled the cup back and looked down into the large straw. "It's a drink, but _chewy_ …"

Aina covered her lips with her fingers. "That'd be the boba."

Lio swirled the straw with a mischievous look. "I see. A beverage and a projectile weapon in one. Handy."

He looked sideways at Galo, who responded to his devious grin with one of his own.

Aina got a dangerous look of warning in her eyes even as she fought back a smile, but it was Ignis who cut in, sunglasses glinting as he leaned forward. Lio paused, mid-gulp.

"Choose your enemies wisely." Was all Ignis said before leaning back again and polishing off a piece of cornbread.

Lio glanced at Meis and Gueira, who were halfway through their own teas. They had paused at the exchange as well, waiting for his lead. Lio sat up even straighter and made a show of drinking the final dregs from the cup. Then he set it aside with an innocent look as he finished chewing the last of the boba. "We'll have to bring an order to the next hearth leader gathering."

The two other Burnish both burst out laughing. Even without fully understanding the reference, the Burning Rescue team could infer enough context to chuckle along.

"Maybe we should bring boba tea to the next city council meeting," Remi suggested to Ignis.

"Can make a lot of things look like an accident, and no one can prove who did it if you time it right," Ignis agreed as he took a swig of beer straight from the bottle. During work hours.

Lio _knew_ he liked this team.

While they were occupied with the first rush of feasting, Lucia had begun working on flower-laden hairstyles for Gueira and Meis, who didn't even pause in their dining as her fingers worked through their locks. She didn't bother making her own plate, just demanded to be fed bites off everyone else's while she concentrated on her task.

As Lio watched Lucia arrange a scattering of blossoms throughout Gueira's tufty hair, he realized there really was already a growing camaraderie between his lieutenants and Galo's teammates--which made sense considering the amount of coordination they had been doing together over the past several days. It was very promising for his first three goals. He tried not to feel like he was missing out on the bonding. And to silence the irrational wariness that said they were getting too close too fast. Especially since his time may be limited anyway. He was grateful for the days he'd had with Galo. And he really was glad Meis and Gueira would have this support. Maybe now that he was feeling better, he could get in the group chat, too.

But their group bonding also reminded him that everyone was out there working so hard, rebuilding and helping people, and he was stuck being a burden. Not only could he not help, he was taking Galo away from where he was needed. From his team and his city. His stomach gave a miserable twist and he wasn't very hungry anymore.

_Stop feeling sorry for yourself, don't you dare ruin their happiness_.

Lio swallowed and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to hit reset on his attitude. He felt Galo's supporting arm give him a gentle nudge, and he opened his eyes. Looked up to a quietly concerned expression.

Ah. There was the sun. Still here. Just like he was.

His smile returned and his back grew stronger. "Guess it wouldn't be right to stop now," he declared, scanning what everyone else was currently eating.

His eyes widened when he saw Remi bite into a burger. It had been forever since he'd had a _good_ one, and that one looked impressive--appropriately charred patty, toasted bun, crisp lettuce, fresh tomato, extra melty cheese.

"Mmm, where are those?" Lio asked, picking up a knife and scanning the containers.

Remi paused between bites, raising a brow as he lifted the lid off a box of hamburgers. "You're not one of those prissy people who eats a burger with a knife and fork, are you?" He challenged with a smirk.

"Remi!" Aina hissed, punching him in the arm and eliciting an "ow!".

Lio, face serious, simply raised one brow back and shifted his grip on the knife to stick out a sarcastic pinky. Then in a move straight out of a pirate movie, he savagely stabbed a burger with the knife, lifted it speared straight through, and began eating it directly and neatly from the blade.

Among the wide range of approving reactions, Lucia's was the loudest.

"YES!" Lucia jumped up and roared in unrestrained glee, still holding the braid she was weaving with Meis' hair and a waterfall of flowers. "Creative use of the tools on hand and no holding back! Hahahaha, I cannot WAIT for you to test what I'm makiiiiing!"

Remi actually burst out laughing in surprise and lifted his drink in an acknowledging toast.

Gueira and Meis, absolutely thrilled with their boss' badass behavior, began a quest to eat only with knives, trying to outdo each other in the looking-edgy department. No one had the heart to tell them it was a non-starter with flowers in their hair. And they were all glad the knives weren't very sharp.

When Lucia finished Meis' braid, Lio sent them a genuinely admiring look and complemented him and Gueira and Lucia on brightening up the picnic. "My favorite things combined!" he couldn't help but add as the mix of flowers and friends gave him a sense of deepest contentment. Lio wished _he_ was taking pictures, because Gueira and Meis got extra adorable as they looked decidedly pleased by his affirming words. They did a three-way fist-bump with Lucia.

Lucia hopped over to him. "You're next! The pièce de résistance!" At his raised brows, she smiled cheekily into his face. "You didn't think I'd forget to decorate _all_ of my pretty boys, did you?"

"Am I a pretty boy??" Galo asked eagerly, and Lio thought he was foolish to draw such attention to himself.

Lucia made a show of studying him. "Almost, but no. Too much of a hunk."

That was a good description, Lio thought, but Galo somehow looked disappointed.

Chuckling, Lio picked one of the nearby dandelions and reached up to pop it in Galo's (amazing) hair. With a smirk he declared, "Now it's a _galo_ delion."

Galo just stared, gaping at him.

"B-because _Galo de Lion_ and, uh, I gave it to _you_ , not some boring _Dan_..." Lio finished, trying to explain his dumb joke.

Galo began to swell with what Lio could only describe as a shine that almost blinded him. With glimmering eyes, he grabbed Lio's less injured hand and pointed at the yellow weed in his hair as he turned to yell, "Aina!! Lio _gave me his flower_!!"

Lio spent the next five minutes with his face in his palm refusing to look at anyone or talk to Galo, who had become somewhat occupied by Meis and Gueira anyway. Aina and Lucia were having a grand old laugh fest. Ignis, Remi, and Varys were calmly discussing the best way to reheat the leftovers tomorrow as if these antics were commonplace.

He only looked up when he felt something soft press against his hair. Lifting a hand, he realized it was a dense circle of flowers. He ran his fingers over the petals, and smiled in wonder at the cool, delicate softness and the gentle aroma.

"Awww," Aina murmured as she watched him.

Lucia held her fingers up as a frame, studying him like a picture. She grinned, seemingly extremely satisfied with the effect she had created. She patted his cheek. "For good health." Then she plunked a huge bouquet of all the remaining flowers in his arms. Astonished, he didn't think at all before wrapping his arms around them, pulling up his knees to cradle them completely as he buried his face in the sea of petals. They brushed his cheeks and nose like living silk, smelling like every green and vibrant thing in his memory. He could hear an angel choir and the sun got brighter and the air seemed to laugh against his skin like the fire used to.

"I canNOT believe this is the Mad Burnish everyone was so afraid of," Remi spoke with a low thrill, checking the recording feed on his phone again.

"Geez, Boss," Meis chuckled as he brushed pollen from Lio's nose and sat beside him again. "Ruining our reputation."

"You and _flowers_ ," Gueira grinned, leaning over his shoulder. A blossom fell out of his own hair and he hastily snatched it back up, carefully returning it to its spot.

"Take notes, Galo," Lucia instructed with a smirk at the blue haired man who was staring, strained and speechless, a twitch tugging his cheek.

Still curled around his flowers, Lio looked up at him, but Galo continued to say nothing and only looked more freaked out as their eyes connected.

"I think you broke Galo, Lucia," Varys concluded.

*****

_Lucia!!!!_

_What did you do?!?_

_You can't take a Lio and just…_

_Just…_

_Wreath him in flowers!!_

_How can you call yourself a firefighter when you started a million fires!!!!_

"Do you think _he_ wants a whole bouquet, now?" Lio asked in a stage whisper to Meis, eyes intrigued at what he clearly thought was an odd reaction.

"Oh, I think he _does_." Meis replied, his gaze making no attempt to hide the clear warning to Galo that there were many impulsive things he was _not_ to do right now.

Lio looked amused and said in a teasing voice, glancing around, "I don't know that there are enough dandelions around here…"

Meis raised a disbelieving brow at Lio. "I don't think those are the kinds of _flowers_ he wants."

Lio gave Meis a probing look. Then his eyes widened with dawning realization. He glanced at Gueira, who gave him a look that screamed "duh!"

Then he looked down at the flowers in his arms.

He side-eyed Galo with suspicion as he held his bouquet possessively closer. A combative edge entered his expression, eyes glinting with steel. With this visual combination of sharp and soft, Galo's already overheated brain maxed out entirely. His face got so hot he was sure it had melted off.

Meis stared at his tea. "I don't think this is strong enough," he declared with a meaningful look to Ignis. With an understanding nod, Ignis tossed him a beer. He downed half of it in one go and Gueira polished it off while giving Galo his own warning look.

They didn't need to worry because there was no way Galo could move. His bones had turned to some kind of gooey gel and his burning soul had combusted straight out of his body.

But an unfamiliar, insecure, bitter internal voice came out again.

It wasn't _fair_.

Lio had rejected _his_ gestures of affection.

But he accepted flowers from Lucia.

And a _totally unearned_ fist bump from Varys. ( _They_ hadn't saved the world together.)

And let Remi take pictures--video!--of him. (Who else would get to see that?)

And listened to Ignis with that look of _respect_.

And--and let Aina _kiss him!_

A ball of bitter misery condensed in Galo's chest, but he shook his head and commanded it to disperse.

Because all those things had made Lio _happy_. Had brought a smile that rewarded all. He sincerely loved that his team was embracing Lio, that the people he cared about were coming to care about Lio. That Lio would be able to enjoy having these people who cared about Galo care for him as well. And that Lio was beginning to open up to them.

That voice wasn't _him_. He recognized the ugly voice _existed_ , but he swallowed it down and refused to listen to it.

And just at that moment, Lio shifted slightly while talking to Meis and Gueira, bringing Galo's attention back. The two Burnish had returned to teasing Lio about overreacting to flowers. He responded by explaining all the ways flowers were the boldest and fiercest things in creation. And he had somehow managed to manspread on a picnic blanket. But Lio leaned his head on Galo's shoulder, casually curving just a little more into his side, and any bitterness in Galo instantly dissolved into a poof of pixie dust.

_He_ got Lio _all day_. He got to _carry him_. Everyone else was a lot less lucky.

...

Except maybe Aina.

_No_.

She had gotten _four_ smiles and a laugh and a KISS, before they even got to the picnic!

_NO! He was glad they were getting along so well._

So very...

... _very_ well...

He knew from their group chat that she thought he was _cute_. As if that wasn't obvious to everyone, but she said it with _emojis_. That sparkled. And Aina was really pretty and strong and genuinely awesome, so of course Lio would like her.

He was going to sit between them at all times from now on.

_No he would_ not!

If anger was a dragon, this voice was a _snake_. Hard to track and harder to get rid of. But Galo knew with absolute certainty that if he listened to it, it would hurt Lio. And Galo only had _one goal_ for now. He clenched his fist and glared down at the ground, trying to burn the feeling away. When he managed well enough and finally risked a glance up, Remi was giving him a very amused look. Galo tried to look nonchalant. Remi just grinned and shook his head, taking another drink of his canned espresso.

"Ahhh, picnics are the best!" Lucia sang as she flopped over in the grass beside the Mad Burnish trio, oblivious to the internal struggle she had set off in Galo.

"We're the best with picnics," Gueira grinned down at his little hair stylist. "We almost always used to eat outside."

"Do _not_ ask him to make you food." Meis advised. "Or at least verify its actually dead before you bite into it."

"That was _one_ time!"

"After which you _charred_ everything else forever after."

"I was making sure."

"Anything cooked _right_ can taste good, no matter how it started out." Varys opined, and downed a ham in one go.

"Yeah!" Gueira smirked at Meis, as if Varys had backed him up.

Galo watched Lio grin to himself as he listened and slowly savored a piece of cherry pie with great satisfaction. His actions were a little more awkward than usual as he refused to let go of the flowers, keeping them nestled in the crook of the arm holding his plate. Galo realized this was the most relaxed and happy he'd ever seen Lio, and he wished he could just hold his arms out and keep time from moving them forward into lesser moments and the impending wall of pain a few days from now. He tried to imagine what their former selves would think if they could see this, Burning Rescue and Mad Burnish hanging out and enjoying a smorgasbord of amazing treats without a care in the world. Or rather, they had set those cares aside to enjoy a breather in each other's company. Lio right up against his side, where he belonged. He wished he could keep this moment forever.

As if echoing Galo's mood, Lio got another one of those flickers as he scanned the faces in front of him--a wistfulness, but more sad than Galo's, like someone looking at what they knew they couldn't keep. And Galo felt that terrible twist in his gut as he realized why Lio would possibly feel that way.

"This really feels like a new beginning," Galo spoke quietly, and waited until Lio actually looked at him before finishing. "For all of us."

Lio's eyes widened slightly, then he dropped them. "Of course." The note of cheer in his voice didn't quite match his face.

"Hm, good point," Remi, always recording, picked up the thread, obviously having heard them. A calculating look was in his eye as he assessed Lio. "You seem like a person who always has a plan. What's next?" Remi set aside his own plate and leaned forward as everyone's attention began to gather around this particular conversation. "It's been… interesting to talk to so many Burnish people this week. Sounds like you've been focused on saving the Burnish for years. You're the leader they look up to. Now that you've rescued them, what do you plan to do?"

Remi looked a little surprised as Lio stiffened in offense.

"I'm not-- it's never been like _that_. I'm not their _savior_ ," Lio almost hissed the word, and Galo knew he was recalling the way Kray arrogantly claimed the title. Lio leaned forward earnestly shaking his head. "The Burnish don't need that. I believe in _them_." He then sat up straight with carriage both a dancer and a king would envy. "They are strong-- _they_ have always made _me_ strong. I just do what I can in return. If they believe in me, I _hope_ it's because they believe in themselves. All of the ideals I try to live are just a reflection back of the truth that is already there in them. The Burnish are the ones who saved the world. I didn't do that _for_ them, we did it together." Lio lifted his chin, eyes like lightning as his Burnish pride filled every inch of him.

Galo could see the whole BR3 team take a deeper breath, sit a little straighter, as Lio exuded a _presence_.

A presence that recognized _others_.

Ignis leaned back a little with a smile.

"And we did it with _you_ , too." Lio glanced with serious eyes at Galo, and then the rest of the team. He looked like he wanted to say more but then thought better of it.

"As far as what we plan to do…" Lio paused, eyes turned to inward reflections. He quieted in focus and a hush instinctively fell over the group as they listened.

"I told Kray there were no more Burnish in the world. I was telling the truth according to how he understood the Burnish--fire wielders, dangerous in instinct, lesser and disposable. Without the fire, they would lose definition for someone like him. And maybe others."

Lio looked back up, clear conviction setting across his face.

"But for us it has always been much more, and we cannot stop being Burnish, in so many other important ways."

Galo wondered if Lio meant it wasn't possible or wasn't _right_ to try to change their Burnish ways. Both, he supposed.

Varys nodded. "Yeah, there's been a lot of things this week--we can tell. But they don't really want to say much to outsiders."

This gave Lio pause, the slightest hesitation about continuing. Then he resolutely shook his head and explained, speaking slowly as if processing things himself as he tried to describe the situation.

"Losing the fire... It takes away the greatest problem in our lives, but also the core of who we knew ourselves to be. People who more recently became Burnish will find it easier, may even just go back to normal without much trouble. But for those of us who had to live through it for years--we're different people than before. We fought so hard to be okay with it, to embrace it, to not feel like some _plague_ on the world, and to do so, we had to find a way to take pride in our connection to the fire. To own it as an identity. It defined _us_ , and so we chose to gave _it_ definition. It's… how we understood the world, our community, and ourselves. How we built our abilities to interact with the world. It was integrated into every layer of our existence.

"So removing the fire... that doesn't remove it from our existence. We're still... shaped around it. We've lived our lives needing to burn to live. Now we need to figure out how to just... live."

All three Burnish tilted their heads slightly as if trying to envision something that wasn't quite obvious yet. Lio then took a quick breath and his gaze turned far away, words pouring out with no filter.

"It's not just up to me, but I know what I want for the Burnish. What I believe they can have. They've taught me everything. They showed me how resilient and caring and strong we can be together. The Burnish are amazing because we are _people_. And now we need everyone to see that.

"For a long time in order to just… _be people_ , we had to be A People, separate, sacrificing everything else in order to have the basics of safety and human dignity. It's… what I encouraged, what I led the Burnish to do. Our experiences taught us that it wasn't possible to coexist… basically, they taught us to fear even as we were feared. The more society built to keep us out, the more we built to keep ourselves out. I thought it was the way to protect everyone--creating ways to live separately from the rest of humanity so we could retain our own humanity. I honestly don't know anymore… how much of that forced segregation was necessary and how much we forced ourselves… but we lost a lot of hope along the way to that identity." Lio frowned and Galo could see the self-recrimination before it flashed away to a burning resolve.

"I don't want that for the Burnish anymore. It didn't protect us, we ended up vulnerable in that isolation, picked off until it was almost too late to save anyone. Until we'd lost too much hope to be strong together anymore. They deserve better. They should have all of it. Identity _and_ hope. I want them to have everything now, they _deserve_ everything. Not to be separate, not to be hated, not to live in fear, not to always have _less_."

The whole time Lio had talked, Meis and Gueira had been half-smiling as though appreciating something familiar, but as Lio declared his hopes, their faces mirrored his passion and they threw their arms around him in a tight hug as if they couldn't hold back anymore. He paused to hug them back with equal fervor.

Galo had spent the whole time just tracing the lines of Lio's face, entranced by the way it carried passion and transferred it so effortlessly outward.

Aina leaned over and murmured to Lucia, "Whoa, you gave the crown to the right person."

With a few final pats, Lio released Meis and Gueira. His face had an energy none of the Burning Rescue team had seen before, except Galo for a few exceptional moments as he had brought everyone together to burn the world. Galo realized they were finally getting to see Lio as the Burnish people had experienced him, the one they chose to follow because his light was so strong they could see their own.

Taking a deep breath, Lio pressed his fingertips together in his lap. "There are a million logistical and life challenges, but really it comes down to those two things: identity and hope. If we get those right, everything else is possible because the Burnish--because _people_ can be amazing. If we stay strong in who we are and _believe_ that better things are possible, we'll be able to keep fighting for a shared future no matter what hurdles we face. The Burnish have always surprised and inspired me with their strength."

"We've seen examples everyday this week," Aina smiled warmly. "They've been showing the rest of us how to recover and rebuild. No fuss, just do it!"

Lio beamed. "That's definitely a Burnish pride. We haven't lost _those_. The things that we learned, that were tested through hardship, that make us strong, that's what stays with us even without the fire. What we can carry forward. They should be the foundation as we understand ourselves in a new way. And… build our future with everyone else."

Galo was struck anew by how polar opposite Lio was from Kray. Lio wasn't about _taking_ command--he inspired people who then chose to follow his vision. When Galo looked at Lio, he also saw the people around him. It wasn't glory for some central authority figure demanding obedience, but the possibilities for everyone else. Empowered to envision a future for themselves, together. And yet… relentlessly cared for by the one serving them. Galo had always thought Kray was the best leader--confident, always with a plan, reassuring. A solid foundation... that he plastered his name all over. And a pillar that elevated himself above all. But Lio was the focal point of _movement_ and connection, immersed with his people. Joined strength. With Lio was the possibility of change, real change. An energy, a catalyst. And he didn't care about his own name at all. In fact, none of them had ever known it until that day they caught him. And then he hadn't proclaimed it for all to hear. He had found one person to tell. Come to think of it… why _had_ he told Galo?

In any case, Kray and Lio were--

Galo froze as he realized he was _doing it again_. Comparing them. He quickly shut down that mental train. Tried to forget Kray entirely and focus on Lio as he continued.

"Now is the time to fight for what we should have had all along. To shine a light against the dark fear that denied the Burnish so much joy in life. I mean, think of--can you _imagine_ …"

Lio seemed to see that future taking shape in his mind's eye. He turned to Meis and Gueira excitement lifting his shoulders and hands. "Imagine Archima getting to go to school, to actually study advanced math and do something with it! And Khoros, Khadijah, and Nico can dance on a _stage_ for everyone to see. And, and Ilia can go back to Moscow and see for himself again all the things he always goes on about in his stories, _see_ his grandkids! Ejura and Abeo won't have to be afraid to start a family anymore." Lio gasped softly as a new idea occurred to him. "We could do a picnic like this for Mari's birthday next week--she'd _love_ that."

"Boss, you don't even know half of it! Like, most of the stuff we try to manage for holidays people here do _all the time_!"

Lucia sat up and grinned. "We gotta go karaoke bowling when you're better." Then she whispered to the three, "Pro tip: make sure either me or Aina's on your team. And never go up against Varys."

Gueira snickered and Meis got a mysterious smile that made both Lucia and Galo curious. Lio sighed, still looking into the future, captivated. "There is just _so much_ \-- The Burnish shouldn't be content to just _survive_ , we're more than that--" A realization caught hold of Lio. "We don't need to burn to live anymore, now we can _live_ to _burn_!"

"What?!" Galo squeaked. This had taken a very different turn than he had hoped.

Lio grinned up at him, excited. "Hey, there's no backing down now. _You_ burned the whole world!"

"That was to protect lives!"

"Exactly! And that's the core of what Burnish _humans_ brought to the Promare's fire. That _is_ the Burnish fire. A fire that grows stronger as it protects. That is always shining with hope even in the toughest times. That blazes a new trail. That never burns out, only brighter. And now, with hope, we can begin to see that not only in ourselves but… in everyone. Imagine if everyone caught fire like that? That's the kind of world burning I'd like to see us do now. That's our Burnish strength, what we can bring to our shared world. _That's_ our identity.

"The Burnish survivors are powerful." An almost tangible heat radiated from the fierce light in Lio's eyes, in the conviction of his expression. "Yes, the future is ours to build. But we're going to have to fight for it. That's where hope needs to come in." Lio fixed on Galo for a moment. "We need hope that's an unwavering flame we can keep looking towards. And we can't do it alone, or we'll still be separate. We need to hold others with power accountable. We need to reclaim our rights. We should have the same rights and access as any other humans and not accept anything less."

Ignis leaned forward into that heat. "We're _all_ responsible for holding those in power to account," he simply said, the promise to shoulder that burden together clear as day. Galo knew his whole team carried deep regret and frustration that they hadn't done enough to prevent what had happened through the corrupt government they served.

Lio, the flame still intense in his eyes, carefully studied Ignis. Then Remi. Then his gaze took in the whole team and he gave a single nod.

"We can't create this kind of future without help, which… is hard."

Varys rested his chin on his fist, thoughtful. "Hard to believe in?"

"Hard to _accept_ ," Remi acknowledged with a perceptive look.

Lucia tsked and pointed out, "Hard to _find_ in the first place."

Aina caught Lio's gaze and tilted her head, studying him. "Hard to trust."

Lio snorted resting his cheek on his fist, elbow propped on a knee. "All of the above. We're used to being excluded. So we look out for ourselves. We're used to being on the outside. That's a hard mindset to change."

Ignis nodded. "It requires brave examples by good leaders."

At Ignis' words, Lio straightened and seemed to mentally review things. For the first time he looked a bit daunted. "Yeah. We'll need to find some of those. Help is… hard," he restated.

"We'll help 'find' them," Ignis promised with a knowing smile as he leaned forward and placed a solid hand for a couple of seconds on Lio's shoulder. Lio's stilled as he kept his eyes trained on Ignis with a type of tense vulnerability Galo hadn't seen before.

Aina crossed her legs and sat tall with a confident smile. "You're right, the Burnish are worth fighting for. And we can _show_ them that they're not alone. That we'll look out for them, too, elevating their cause and bringing everyone to a better place."

She stuck her fist out to Lio and held it strong.

Lio sat even straighter as he looked in surprise from her offered fist to her face.

At her side, Varys held out his own clenched hand. "We'll show them that we'll shoulder the burdens together and help with the heavy lifting."

Lucia bounced in with her own extended arm. "That there are a million new and interesting ways to do things. We just need to be a little inventive and learn from each other. We can figure it out."

Remi continued, fist forward, "That there are leaders who can work from the inside to stop harm and create new systems that include everyone."

"That we won't back down." Ignis simply confirmed, his hand joining his team's.

"That we'll never give up hope!" Galo, feeling overwhelmed, extended both fists and wished he had a third.

Lio stared disbelieving at their hands, extended, ready, and waiting for him. He scanned their faces one more time, stunned. Meis and Gueira each placed a hand on his back with encouraging smiles and held up their own fists, waiting for his lead.

Lio gave a tentative smile and held out his own bruised fist, meeting their group cluster with Meis and Gueira. "That... we have allies." Everyone beamed a little harder. Then Lio's smile turned into a grin as he looked at Galo and thrust out his other fist as well, mirroring his move. Galo felt like he was going to combust all over again. As everyone finally dropped their arms, Lio's expression turned incredulous, almost confused, "I didn't even have to ask."

"No need," Ignis' tone was no-nonsense. "And you may especially need allies within the next day."

Remi nodded. "We've been keeping things quiet... misdirecting, a bit, to keep the full details from getting out, but we're at the tipping point. Even though the Burnish have kept things quiet and most others aboard the Parnassus were none the wiser, various pieces of recordings from the ship's comms plus press and bystanders' video will be enough to piece together your presence and actions. I've no doubt the media and public will find out one way or another about your's and Galo's specific roles in this whole affair before this time tomorrow. And we've got one shot to tell a strong story before that narrow opportunity is gone and the record of events will take on a life of it's own."

Ignis nodded. "We want you two to have as much say in what's reported as possible. What's the official story you want to tell to get the truth out there... And to take care of yourselves and your futures."

Aina sighed and rested her cheek on her fist, a hint of concern in her tone. "People have been reacting in a lot of ways, and now you'll become a focal point of that, whether you want it or not. What you did was not a small thing. Leading everyone to save the world."

"That _changed_ the world, too," Lucia said with a quirk of her fingers, then continued with a bit of exasperation, "I always find change jump starts my ideas, but who knows how People will react."

Remi glanced at Lucia. "Most _are_ seeing it as a change for the better. But yeah, not all are focusing on the positive."

Ignis looked over his sunglasses at both Lio and Galo. "Take some time this afternoon to talk it out. Draft something."

Lio had been keeping a carefully neutral face through all this, although Galo could easily feel the tension where their bodies were still touching. Galo honestly didn't see what the big deal was--the truth made _them_ look good and the bad guys look bad, and it was the truth so it'd be easy to keep straight. He'd probably get to do interviews and tell lots of people about how awesome they had been, and this time it was for something he knew for sure was real. They could set the record straight about the Burnish!

He didn't need another medal, but a little applause never hurt. It meant people were paying attention and inspired! It was another way of helping them, affirming that the encouraging example was working. And Lio would finally get some well-deserved appreciation and support rather than blame, once people knew the truth! Then he wouldn't have to do one-off corrections like with that ignorant security guard. It would be great!

But Lio still seemed dubious for some reason. "What have you told people so far?"

Remi gave him a shrewd look. "We've alluded to the idea that Burning Rescue--and city leaders are quick to point out that we are in fact an extension of _them--_ partnered with Burnish leadership to take down an evil tyrant's plot. Nothing specific, and all true. We haven't needed to hold anything back about Kray's crimes, which has kept everyone's interest for now. But I'm sure people have been elaborating their way to conclusions. I'm sure they're assuming that there was some intentionality behind it rather than pure dumbest of dumb luck."

Lio chuckled at that, breaking some tension.

"Okay. I want to make sure the Burnish are safe and supported through everything. Maybe it's hoping for too much, but… this sounds like an opportunity to do something positive on the hope- and identity-building." He got a look of intense concentration, tapping his fingers along his knee.

"Where would you want to start?" Galo asked, fascinated to see how Lio's mind would work this out.

The spark in Lio's eye as he glanced back made Galo's heart beat just a little faster. "Well actually... You got me thinking..."

Aina laughed and said good-naturedly, "Really? _Galo_ got you thinking?"

Lio grinned at Aina for a moment before addressing the whole group. "Yes. There… is a lot of hurt spread around in every direction in this situation, and that can make change all the more difficult. For the Burnish, it's hard to transition when you're uprooted but holding on to the past. Galo helped me think about what it means to heal... Showed me some of the things to think about. A good first step would be recognizing the recent losses-- _everyone's_ \--and doing something active to honor those. It's not something we often had the luxury to do before. Our way was to focus on the letting go part, being grateful our deaths served a purpose, accepting the temporary, letting the ashes scatter. But I think... we can do something more this time. A step that can unite the Burnish to move forward. And a way to work productively with allies. To make a statement in a way that few would be able to object to. A way to reaffirm identity and memorialize those we lost, and connect that forward to hope and our future. Here's the idea…"

As Lio described what he envisioned, everyone got quiet imagining. Galo's heart was full of wonder as he listened, his hand finding it's way around Lio's in support and receiving a strong squeeze back.

Meis was the first one to break the silence once Lio was done.

"That sounds like a great idea, Boss. We'll start working on it in a couple of days when we get back."

Lio sent him a grateful look for the affirmation, then seemed to fully process what he said. Lio brightened. "You mean you're actually going to go to the stranded Burnish--"

"Well geez, Boss, how can we not do everything we can to fight for that future?" Gueira grumbled tearfully, mussing Lio's hair with no regards to the flowers.

"We'll travel to the ends of the earth and come back to you," Meis promised, and no one pointed out that Lio's eyes had gotten extra shiny as held the gazes of his two loyal friends and nodded.

Ignis chuckled and acknowledged, "Well. We've got our work cut out for us then."

With an undercurrent of renewed energy flowing through the whole group and without further ado, everyone began cleaning up, ready to get started on the afternoon, buoyed by inspiring thoughts for the future they'd build together. Burning Rescue grateful they were finally really going to be able to support the Burnish cause, and Mad Burnish that they weren't alone.

While Lio immediately got Lucia's assistance straightening and securing the flower crown, fishing for tips on how to make one in the process (Galo had rarely seen Lio more adorably awkward asking for help or Lucia look more thrilled to provide it), Meis and Gueira stood and beckoned Galo over to the side. Meis was holding a large envelope.

"We have a surprise for Lio and we need your help," Meis started.

"Oh, hold up, you guys discuss, I'mma go get the recording of all this from Remi," Gueira exclaimed as he noticed BR's #2 plucking the drone from the air. "Cinders, there was so much _classic_ Lio goodness, I'm just going to binge watch this on the plane!"

"I keep telling you, it's not binge watching if you just view the same thing on repeat!" Meis called after him, rolling his eyes. "Ugh, this is going to be a long flight."

Galo could totally imagine enjoying several hours of the most recent hour on repeat. Except real Lio was better than video Lio, and that's what he'd get to enjoy for the rest of the day. He felt a little sorry for Meis and Gueira by comparison.

Meis sighed and continued. "We _hate_ leaving Lio right now. If there was any other way…" Meis shook his head in resignation and made a clearing motion with his hand. "So we're going to need you now more than ever. To stay by him and take care of him, and yes I know how idiotically hard that is when he's being an idiot. And," Meis got very close with a glare for emphasis. "To keep us updated about _everything_. Or Lio privileges will be revoked, got it?"

Galo nodded vigorously. Those were serious stakes.

Meis seemed satisfied that he had taken it seriously enough, so he moved on to the next topic, holding up the large envelope.

"The past few days haven't been easy for the Burnish here. And they miss Lio. And Lio misses them. So we had an idea. Inspired by Boss." Meis' lips quirked as he looked into a memory. "Speaking of classic Lio. Once, the three of us were picking up the pieces after a settlement outside of Nashville went down. It was really ugly. A lot of hate went into that attack. The survivors… were having trouble finding reasons to keep surviving. So Lio gave everyone one other person to take care of in a different way each day. And then he talked to them. Connected them on with others who had similar needs or thoughts or anything really. And then they organically found ways to help each other. We thought it was just a way to distract from the problems and create a sense of community again. But he said, if you give people a way to _express_ love, that lets them regain power over anger or fear or despair.

"And there's plenty of all three right now. So Gueira and I looked at each other and said, it's a good thing we and the rest of the Burnish all have a something we _love_ in common. _Let's make sure he knows that_. Lio, I mean." Meis spoke very deliberately and then paused, staring at Galo.

Galo had been listening with sympathetic intensity to Meis' story. He blinked when Meis didn't immediately continue. "Good idea?" he offered.

Meis sighed so heavily, Galo thought he might sink to the ground like a deflated balloon. Galo definitely felt like he might have somehow lost points.

With a shake of his head, Meis became matter-of-fact again. "We know it would help lift the Burnish spirits if there was something they could do to help Lio and some way to communicate. Even separated from them in a hospital, Lio is a focal point of hope for us. Everyone's working on letters and gifts. The hospital won't let us bring much into his intensive care room, so we'd like to find another place on site to set everything up and maybe do a livestream. Can you figure out a way by the time we get back? We'd… like to make sure that happens before… the fourth day."

Galo had started out absolutely super excited to be included in this project for Lio, but Meis' final words felt like a bucket of ice water pouring over him.

He remembered the fear and grief Meis and Gueira were continuing to fight, could see it there in Meis' eyes. The sheer bravery of continuing to push ahead and take care of Burnish affairs, leaving Lio in his care, silenced his voice for several moments. Realizing just how far Lio's well-being extended to an entire people silenced his whole mind with its weight.

He took a deep, focusing breath. Nothing would stop him from protecting Lio anymore. He had one goal.

"I'll do anything you need," Galo promised at last, his soul on fire.

Meis gave him a small smile.

"These are some of the ones for you." He held out the envelope.

"Some of…?" Galo puzzled as he took it.

"Gueira and I aren't the only ones who are grateful you saved Lio. That you're there when we need you to help him."

Wide-eyed, Galo had opened the top of the packet and lifted the first few pages halfway out. A well-done picture of him in a harness lifting someone from a pod. Another crude one of him holding a gray form that was glowing pale blue. One of him and Lio smiling, holding hands. A letter that started, "Dear Mr. Firefighter,".

They were drawings. Letters. From the Burnish. For him. His throat grew tight.

Meis' voice was low, urgent, and sincere, the guard in his eyes completely down. "Please keep taking care of him. He needs you, and so do we."

Overwhelmed, Galo simply nodded. And in that moment of silence, Gueira's voice cut through.

"Six months, that's my final offer!"

Meis' eyes widened with horror. He slowly turned his head in the direction of the voice.

"I… let _Gueira_ go negotiate. With _Remi_."

And just like that, Meis was off. "We're not making coffee for six months, we don't even work there!"

"Oh, no bro, it's just washing the Rescuemobile once a week!"

"That is so much worse you idiot!!"

"But I got him down from a year, so--"

"Gueira, you're fired."

"Hah, joke's on you, I don't have a job!"

Remi cut in with a grin. "You do now. Once a week. For six months. Pleasure doing business with you."

_R.I.P., Gueira_ , Galo sent his mental sympathy.

Then his eyes were drawn inexorably to Lio as his feet began moving in his direction. Lucia gave him a very smug, knowing look as he approached and winked as she gave a final pat to the now-secure blossoms in Lio's hair.

Lio still looked blissful as he ran his own fingers over them again.

"Ready to go?" Galo grinned down, even as his face started feeling warmer at the proximity to Flower Lio.

"Thanks to Lucia," Lio confirmed with a final grateful nod.

"It was my extreme pleasure," Lucia continued to grin.

Galo wasted no time in lifting Lio into his arms again, a happy comfort to have him back where he belonged. He looked over to the garden, then up at Lio. Lio smiled, pulled his cherished bunch of flowers to his chest.

"The garden already came to me. And now I can take it with me and have it all day."

He looked _so happy_. And they were just _flowers_. ( _He_ was so much more stunning.)

Then Lio's face turned cautious. "You can enjoy them, too. We're in the same room, we can share." Obviously still convinced Galo was eyeing the bouquet in his arms rather than him. Nggggh, it just made Galo want him more.

Oh _no_. Lio got that crafty look at Galo again. He didn't think he could hold Lio like this, with that look, and not listen to the kinds of impulses that had gotten him into trouble previously.

"We can visit the garden _tomorrow_." Lio's voice was silky. "Pick some flowers for the Burnish before we visit them."

Heart still stumbling along, Galo raised an eyebrow and gave Lio a knowing grin.

"Are you trying to trick me into agreeing to let you leave the hospital?"

Lio tightened the arm he'd slung around Galo's shoulder, bringing himself lower, closer, until their bangs were entangling with each other. His rich, smooth voice was a half step deeper when he spoke.

" _Persuading_. Is it working?"

Everything masculine and mysterious, a dark heat. Lio's voice vibrated into his lungs, catching them. _Damn_ that sneaky, sassy look. Galo tightened his arms, raising the stakes Lio had started and pulling him in even more until Lio had to shift his flowers to the side to keep them from getting crushed between their bodies.

"Only if I get to carry you there. Keep you in my arms."

The clever look evaporated as a deeper color blossomed across cheeks too pale to hide it. Lio's eyes broke their gaze to flicker to Galo's lips, and Galo almost lunged. Lio pulled in a breath as though just remembering he needed to keep doing that, and backed up a couple of inches, despite how reluctantly Galo's arms loosened.

Lio looked away, but his cheeks held their dark tint.

"If you insist, I guess that's how it'll have to be. I don't want to be _uncompromising_." It sounded strangely like Lio was talking himself into having an excuse... Which made no sense. What was the smoke hiding this time? Regardless, he'd have to check in with Meis and Gueira on their plans if Lio was going to visit the Burnish before they got back.

Lio backed up further, but as his arm loosened, his fingers played a light caress down Galo's neck. Galo felt like he hovered straight off the ground. It was a miracle that he managed to move his feet forward and carry them back inside at all.

As they passed out of the sunlight into the relatively stale halogen of the hallway, Galo saw Lio give a resigned glance back outside and murmur, "Well. Three out of four isn't bad."

* * *

ENDNOTES

(I'm having to put some of the end notes here because I made them too long for AO3 apparently.)

I have a feeling Galo will be getting Lio a LOT of flowers in coming years, and Lio will find very creative ways to expresses his gratitude, hu hu hu. Like, Galo will bring him one every morning without fail and tell him why he chose that one, the ways it reminded him of Lio, and it will all be very nauseating. And Lio will set the flower aside and choose where to touch Galo and how, and then that flower will have even more meaning for them.

Oh dear, I'll have to raise the rating if I continue down that path.

I guess that's all supposing I let Lio live, though. Grim reaper's a-comin' for 'im.

Anyway.

Lucia is a bit wicked, always brilliant, and I love her and she simply deserves a Mad Burnish harem, so there you go.

Lio is unapologetic about his love of flowers (or really anything else). He'll fight you for them. Flowers are manly, yo.

Remi will use the footage he keeps gathering for many things, but Galo and Lio will really appreciate it when they get the best, most romantic video ever to play at their reception, and a truly gorgeous and touching photo album. One of the first character notes I wrote for Remi is that he's a romantic but pretends not to be.

I'm REALLY curious: I wrote innuendo into part of the picnic scene and it's integral to the humor, but I wasn't sure most people would pick up on the innuendo moment itself. Sure enough, my beta reader (Spectrospecs da best!) did NOT read it that way, but said it still made sense to her (in a much cuter way)! Which I thought was fantastic all around, so I left it unchanged. Did you catch it? The flower thing?

I hope you enjoyed this pocket of sunshine chapter (even with its angst appetizer). I mean. You know it's just cuing you up for pain later, right?

I actually love writing the sappy stuff, idunnowhy I'm writing h/c. (I will always say this about whatever I happen to be writing. I guess I just like writing.)

Inconsequential poll time (cuz it won't change what I wrote): Do you think I'll at least let them kiss before the end? Hehehe… suggestive eyebrows…

Next chapter:  
Oof. Pure romantic tension and angst and a fight and dreadfully soft moments. DREADFULLY SOFT. Also kinda steamy. We find out why Lio told Galo his name.  
Also, one of them finally Gets It. And man, do they. Can you guess who?

Randomness on OC names:

I named the nurse Lucy after Sandra Bullock's character in While You Were Sleeping, which is a funny romance movie that's come to mind a few times for me b/c much of it actually happens in a hospital and has a found family vibe.

Named the attacker Jon b/c I was looking for something kinda bland. He's supposed to be an Average Person, ignorant/misguided and reactive but not heartless. His family will show up later again, and we'll learn that wasn't the name he usually goes by…

The doctor doesn't have a name because she's a Time Lord. (did you even notice I didn't give her a name?)

On that note, just a heads up that I'm changing my Pseud for this series and future fics. Notafandomfan was a name I chose after being kind of horrified at what I saw in other fandoms prior to Promare, and wanting no part of it. I've actually had a pleasant experience with Promare's fans by and large, and have figured out how to moderate my own experiences better so I'm not slapped in the face by nauseating stuff constantly. Hooray for life skills. So will be akaDG going forward. It's a short version of my Twitter handle @akadoreengreene

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thank you to [@ShioriAkaitsuki](https://twitter.com/ShioriAkaitsuki) for making [this lovely pic](https://twitter.com/ShioriAkaitsuki/status/1262439598506086400) of flower crown Lio! ;_; It made me so happy to see visually.
> 
> My mini essay on Lio and leadership:
> 
> Uhhhh. I hesitate to state strong "this is the way things are" opinions about fictional interpretations, because I really want to be inclusive of everyone's creativity and preferences without making it seem like there is a right and wrong way to interpret or enjoy them. I hate seeing those kinds of comments, tbh. And I love how much variety there is within the Promare fandom.
> 
> So HUGE DISCLAIMER: I'm not saying anyone else is wrong in how they want to portray Lio (or any of the characters). There's a lot of ways you can do it well that would all be decidedly different takes and still be in character. That's cool.
> 
> This is my personal take as I understand the character.
> 
> I don't think he would think of himself as a savior or a beacon or anything like that. He definitely has a lot of passion and conviction he acts on, and he takes being a good representation and example of the Burnish ideals very seriously, but I don't think he'd think of himself as some exemplary thing that everyone else should look to. The values he demonstrates are already there in them, he's just determined to make sure they're recognized and do them justice. To do that, he holds himself to the highest standards, because he believes in his people that much. He doesn't think of himself as someone who is doing something extraordinary for everyone else. He's not focused on his own power or influence or authority. He's about responsibility, aligning people, getting things done, and service. Like any good leader should be, imo. In my experience working with both good and bad leaders, the bad ones tend to think of themselves as some visible guide that others should follow, and the good ones live their values so intrinsically, people follow them because they see what they want to be themselves. It's a fine distinction, but crucial.
> 
> Also, one of the most significant characteristics of someone capable of being a leader, ESPECIALLY a rebel with a cause: forward thinking and outward thinking, even when they are suffering themselves. Rather than dwelling in their own frustrations or negative feelings, they're constantly looking to a vision forward, to solutions. For example, a leader won't just blame themselves for something and wallow, they'll be looking for practical ways to do something about it. They don't just work hard, they offer hope that others can align around. Sometimes this all can be a problem, if they don't tend to themselves and process their personal problems, though (coughLiocough). But one of the things that set Lio apart from former Mad Burnish leadership was simply that he was a visionary and a builder. It wasn't about destruction or distrust for it's own sake, those were very much an intentional means to an end. When those methods were used, it was towards a constructive purpose. He set disciplined ideals around this. Even when he totally broke and went dragon, it still drove his actions. He didn't just lash out to destroy things because he was angry, he channeled the anger to try to release his people.
> 
> Eh heh, I guess I have some opinions on leadership. O_O (Study and life experience.)
> 
> I have more to say on this, but I'll save it for [Twitter](https://twitter.com/akadoreengreene).
> 
> Couple other random thoughts:
> 
> Trigger always says that Lio's character arc in the movies is an opening up to others (esp. Galo), a thawing, and moving away from isolation to a shared future. So wanted that progress to be recognized in how he's thinking now, combined with the further progress he's made with Galo is this story. He recognizes trust and help are going to be important, that integration is important--he's past the "proving" point on those--and he's trying to move those forward despite the instincts he's built that say the opposite. Much of the next story focuses on this, and the larger Burnish struggle around these changes.
> 
> Didn't want to skip over how Meis and Gueira or Aina would be involved in Galo and Lio's relationship, and didn't want to skip giving some real substance to how the two teams (not just Lio) would actually come together as allies. This is just the beginning, so laying some foundation. Spoilers, but I'm not planning for the Mad Burnish team to join Burning Rescue as a career path in the normal way. There's a lot planned for the next story about how everyone finds their place. There is a lot of interconnectivity and interaction between them, both as friends and allies, and for plot reasons. That's all I'll say for now.
> 
> As always, I love hearing your thoughts! They're a true reward.


	10. Undeniable | Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all--I'm just saying this once, ya masochists--this fic is not a tragedy. Okay?? Haha, I didn't even know there was a happy ending tag. And are you supposed to put that on before the end? Lemme know if there are tags I should be putting on here, I really don't have a clue.
> 
> I mentioned previously on Twitter how difficult chapter 9 was for me to write/revise, and there are a few reasons for that. I promised myself I wouldn't say anything negative when I posted it (and no one else has, either, kind of you), because that would be a pretty crappy thing to do when serving it to you! But I really struggled with it for a few reasons and don't like how it came out. Rather than whine here, if you'd like a peek behind the writing curtain and want to listen to me whinge, I put those notes up on a [Tumblr post](https://akadoreengreene.tumblr.com/post/618276199471382528/frustrations-with-chapter-9). (I haven't done anything with my Tumblr account, but it was a place to put something longer.)
> 
> I advise skipping it and just getting on with 10, which is better. 
> 
> Chapter 10! :D
> 
> Sometimes, feeling better physically opens the floodgates for everything else you need to deal with that got sidelined. It's like coming back to work after being out sick and finding everything has just accumulated.
> 
> The only way I can describe this chapter is…
> 
> *shifts the gears into Angst, stomps on the sexual tension gas pedal and FLOORS IT*

****

It took less than a minute for the blurring hyperawareness to hijack his perceptions. By the time they reached the end of the first hallway, restrained energy was coiling like a spring through his shoulders and down his spine.

"You okay?" Galo asked up at Lio.

"Yes." Lio pressed his lips together without looking down and tried to release the gathering tension in his body. He knew Galo could feel it. How could he not, with his arms and chest pressed against him like this. But the tension had gotten stubborn, and he knew that simply fighting it harder would only make it worse.

It was like he was running a faulty identification algorithm, with everything about the environment currently defaulting into a Threat. And it took all his focus and energy to process each innocuous stimulant and mentally recategorize it as harmless.

It wasn't until he had left the hospital and then had to return that Lio realized he'd never stopped looking at it as a battlefield. There were moments, especially surrounded by the right people, that the fact faded further back in his mind, but it was always there, like a shadow.

Hospitals. Labs. Jails. All were prisons. All were suffering.

There were only two modes for these locations: break in or break out. Before they broke you.

He knew it wasn't rational for his current situation. And he wasn't sure why it was now being triggered with the same intensity as his first day here, when it hadn't been as overwhelming the past few. Maybe it was because he was finally feeling well enough to process anything beyond pain and weariness. Maybe it was in contrast to the freedom the sunshine had provided. Maybe it was the returning memory of recent pain, made more vivid since he'd managed to forget briefly thanks to a little medicine and a picnic. Maybe it was the morning's attack that had stripped away any illusion of safety.

Whatever it was, his pulse leapt each time another person came into view. The security personnel sent it thundering. He tracked every escape route every second along the way. He listened for voices, for the charging of a gun, for the sound of familiar machinery, for screams.

Reality was beginning to warp.

But he knew what to do to keep it together in these situations when your own body and mind stopped wanting to listen to you. What Burnish survivors learned to do.

Silence.

Breathing.

Center in that inner space.

Just focus on what must be done.

And there was a lot that had to be done. He pushed his fracturing focus towards Needs and let it glue things together. What Meis and Gueira would need today. What the Burnish needed. There was so much weight there, it could stabilize and steady his mental pathway with a current of Purpose.

Galo studied him for a minute after his monosyllabic "yes", and then pulled him a little closer and rested his cheek against Lio's side. He began a steady, cheerful narrative about past Burning Rescue feasts and outings. That inevitable flutter rippled through Lio's abdominal muscles at the reassuring weight against his side, the touch that melted new warmth through the thin cloth of his hospital shirt, the vibrations of Galo's voice echoing into his body. Lio suspected this chatter was an attempt to reassure through normalcy rather than because Galo actually believed Lio's "yes". Whatever the intent, it was indeed soothing, providing another kind of gravity that could sweep up pieces and pull them whole. Lio also realized his own fingers now rested against Galo's neck, just at the pulse point, using the regularity of its beat to measure his own breathing and stabilize his pathway. He kept his other hand pressed against the bouquet to keep it from shaking. The sight of the flowers softened the edge of anxiety, visual evidence that this time in the hospital wasn't like the previous times.

Yes, he could hold onto these comforts and focus on necessity enough to keep his attention on track, keep his head above the whirlpool of chaotic thought inevitably followed by time-bending silence that could claim him otherwise. Keep the glacier inside from overtaking the fire.

Needs.

First, he needed to help his lieutenants prepare for their trip. He wanted to do everything he could to ensure they'd be successful before he sent them out into the field. He was grateful to have some energy again. He found a stubborn strength to reclaim that energy from the false danger around him and redirect the flow to supporting the people who mattered to him.

And for the Burnish at large… he was relieved that Remi had recorded their conversation. So it could be remembered. If he wasn't there to say any of it again.

A cold whisper of loneliness returned and swept though him. He must have shivered because Galo tightened his arms slightly, and wrapped him in the extra blankets as soon as he had very gently settled Lio back on his bed.

The tension actually eased a bit, here in this room. With the chair Galo always sat in and the cots that meant he wasn't alone at night and the memories of shared breakfast and pizza hovering in the air. Those things were stronger than the pain had been. Plus, he had already taken full stock of the tactical qualities of this room, had contingencies queued and ready to go without requiring extra attention.

There _was_ a new addition, though. A vase with water on the side table, cracked at the rim but still serviceable. How…? Galo didn't seem surprised as he lifted it from the table and held it out so Lio could arrange the bouquet in it. That easing warmth spread through Lio's chest again as he realize Galo must have thoughtfully messaged ahead.

Plucking the dandelion from Galos hair and adding it to the bunch, Lio took deep breaths as he carefully adjusted all the stems and blossoms. The floral aroma created a tide of joy, pushing peace inward and dragging anxiety out with the ebb and flow of each inhale and exhale. By the time he was finished, his hands were calm and stable. As Galo replaced the vase on the table, Lio pulled the flower crown from his hair, shot Galo a small smile at his "aww", and rose to his knees to hang it from some rigging towards the end of his bed.

"I want to be able to see it, too." Looking at beautiful things was always better than just imagining them when you needed to get through pain.

And it was time to confront something difficult that would impact the rest of his efforts for the Burnish.

The morning's attack and the topic of his and Galo's publicity had made Lio realize--remember, really--some hard truths. Even if he survived, there would not be a bright future for a known terrorist like him. He had given his name publicly partially for just this purpose--so he could own the negative attention and keep it from others. A lot had happened since then. Now he had to figure out a way to decouple his tainted reputation from his people's future. He had to say goodbye to that sun, to the horizon he'd never reach. They really were beyond him now.

He was even more intensely grateful for Burning Rescue's offer of support, because he needed people he trusted to back up Meis and Gueira in taking care of the Burnish. In moving them _towards_ that horizon.

The most important things he wanted to leave with them were now recorded, but it didn't feel right to give his final wishes to the Burnish only through proxy. He had to see them.

Besides, he really wanted to get out of this hospital.

Cinders, what had Meis and Gueira gone through to come back here everyday for him? He felt one more log clatter onto his guilt fire, pushing the intensity a little higher.

"I _am_ going to visit the Burnish tomorrow." Lio kept his eyes fixed on the flowers, tone leaving no room for argument.

But Galo didn't argue. Instead he plunked down in the chair, leaned forward on his arms, and stared at Lio in uncharacteristic silence until Lio looked over. Galo was getting way too perceptive, Lio decided as he took in the keen, knowing gaze trained on him.

"You look unhappy about that idea," Galo pointed out, eyes now tracing over Lio's face, almost as tangible as a touch. "Like it's a punishment."

"That--" Lio began, a defensive retort at the ready, until he realized Galo was right. He had fallen into guilt, into how he wasn't able to do enough, into his contaminating influence, into his own hopeless situation, rather than focusing on the hope he wanted to bring _them_ , which was the only useful thing he could provide through a visit. He had to deal with the negatives on his own, and elevate the positives as he spent precious time with them.

"You're right," Lio admitted instead, briefly closing his eyes and imagining faces. "I _want_ to visit the Burnish." As he opened his eyes, he shifted focus to the yearning he felt, the desire to see them happy and hopeful. To show them they were loved.

Galo seemed satisfied with the change he saw in Lio's face and sat straighter with a gaze suddenly intense in a very different way.

"Then we can go," Galo grinned. "You know my terms." That ever-present light in his eyes grew hotter.

Lio's face seemed to absorb some of that radiating heat as he imagined a whole day in Galo's arms. "Mm," was all he managed to reply, hoping it came across as noncommittal and unaffected. But that grin definitely went into his Best Galo Faces catalog for later perusal.

Galo's grin became the uplifting, energetic one Lio was most used to.

"Ah, that means a lot needs to happen today, huh? What do Meis and Gueira need to prepare for their trip?"

Lio returned an approving smile of his own, pleased to see the message in their game yesterday had sunk in. Good thing Galo was a fast learner. And good thing he was willing to help, because there was a ton to get done to ensure this mission was a success. Galo seemed to get… sparklier at Lio's appreciative smile. Lio felt a sharp and mortifying desire to extend his own visual caress into something more physical. So he quickly broke the gaze and reached for his tablet to tackle the hopefully distracting mountain of work.

Galo got out his own data pad, and Lio lost no time in sharing the tasks as they quickly transformed the Burnish rescue plan into tactics and executables. Planning transportation routes, updating maps and itineraries, crafting messages for the local groups, setting up the final details for their new communications system and protocols, updating mission parameters (Galo was surprised the Burnish leaders had a variety of rescue mission types practically templatized), and planning for the long list of risks. All of this just so Meis and Gueira could make quick personal stops to get the process started. Lio and Galo worked furiously for the next few hours, the process revealing to Lio just how much Galo didn't know about the Burnish reality. He seemed interested, though, and in contrast to their earliest discussions, asked questions that didn't assume too much. His questions now seemed simple but were quite insightful. So Lio found explaining things to him satisfying rather than discouraging.

Many major cities had been decimated by the Great World Blaze, but few countries considered it feasible to rebuild the ones that were located along fault lines and rift systems. Burnish outbreaks were always worse where tensions and openings in the Earth's crust naturally occurred. Considering their lands were typically volcanos that rose above ocean level or land that had broken off the continent due to rifts, very few island nations had survived the Blaze well or thrived afterwards. Many, like Japan and Indonesia and Iceland, had become havens for small, concentrated Burnish populations who were drawn by the very things that drove non-Burnish away. The non-Burnish cities that remained there were even more insular and regulated than Promepolis.

It was four of these core Burnish havens along the world's tectonic breaks and islands, scattered across the globe, that would serve as the stops for Meis and Gueira. From these more established hubs, the stranded Burnish would be within regional reach and the local leaders would be able to coordinate the first stage of networked rescues. They had access to hover crafts, helicopters, or boats almost everywhere, and Lio gave only vague responses to Galo's question about where they had come from, not really trying to hide the fact that many hadn't been obtained by legal means.

The locations varied widely in living norms and culture, and how affiliated with Lio's gang they were. As Lio recorded messages for each, Galo peppered him with questions in between about what his changes in wording and tone meant about each place. Galo seemed stunned that there were at least a dozen different terms for what the Burnish called the non-Burnish depending on area. The nuances in language implied a lot about the local relationship between the two groups, spanning a range from protective to antagonistic. Outside of English, Lio directly recorded messages more slowly in Japanese, Mandarin, Spanish, and Sheng, relying on local translation to pass on the messages down the chain. Languages weren't his greatest strength, but he always tried.

It was a mad rush to get through the most immediate needs, but of course he and Galo made a great team, frequently anticipating and coordinating with only half formed sentences. It was strange to be doing administrative work after everything that had happened, but with Galo's support and enthusiastic energy, Lio found it was almost fun and succeeded in wiping away the previous useless anxiety.

By the time Meis and Gueira returned from arranging final details with Promepolis' Burnish, Lio felt prepared to send them on their way. Or so he thought.

As he looked up at their arrival, it was like getting shot with a frozen bullet all over again.

Despite all the logistical planning, it hadn't really sunk in that they would be leaving him. That they were going far beyond his protection. That he no longer even had the _means_ to protect them, to sync with them like he used to.

The scared feeling came back threefold, almost impossible to ignore. He'd so rarely been parted from these two over the years, and none of the recent events or potential future ones made the prospect any easier.

Once more, that double reality, the path he was always traveling inside, became an overlay to the hospital room, as if another eye was seeing something different.

Blindly, instinctively, he tried to call fire so he could reach for them, an impulse he had been resisting for days because he didn't think he could bear to feel emptiness _there_ in particular. Not with these two bonds. He bit the inside of his cheek, dug his fingers into his palms, and forced himself to _stop_ in every way.

 _You can't do that anymore_. His internal voice was firm bordering on harsh as he tried to quickly instruct himself back to reality and acceptance of that reality. _There is no fire. There are no companions. No voices. There are no paths. There are no bonds. The only things left in that empty place are memories and ghosts and the screams. Stop going there, stay here._

Rather than this diatribe keeping things together, a web of cracks spread inside, something ready to shatter as these thoughts became too real. The ever present rawness where the fire had been ripped out began to bleed as the fractures spread across fragile, barely healed barriers holding his internal shape in place. The path beneath his feet flickered wildly as its existence was denied.

One thought alone continued with clarity, would not release him from its grip.

_I can no longer protect them. I can no longer protect them. I can no longer protect them. I can no longer protect them. I can no longer--_

His silence and stillness had not gone unnoticed.

"Boss..." Gueira began, taking in his unresponsive blankness to their greeting.

He just needed to keep it together, to not show anything until he'd pulled himself out of this--

Galo looked to the vitals monitor, though, and stood as he saw Lio's heart rate.

_That traitorous machine._

The two Burnish were beside him instantly, embracing Lio's tense frame.

"Hey, it's okay, were here." Meis soothed.

"We've got ya." Gueira promised.

Lio didn't say anything, simply lowered his forehead to rest on Meis' shoulder. Galo quietly began rubbing a hand over Lio's back, encouraging him to breathe. He knew they could all feel the slight tremors that ran through him as he steadied himself. Tried to weather the splintering. He _hated_ being this weak, letting it spill over. Usually the place inside was a sanctuary, not the source of instability.

"It's stupid," Lio protested at last in a low voice. "This shouldn't be hard. These were my decisions. To let them go. To let you go."

He had no right to feel this way. To mourn what he had willfully given.

Despite so little explanation, his friends understood his meaning immediately.

"Since when do you ever do the easy thing? And don't say it that way, you're not _letting us go_." Gueira chided gruffly.

"It's like you say, something being right doesn't make it easy. But it's still what we should do. We support your decisions, Lio." Meis ran a hand down his hair.

"Being brave doesn't mean you don't feel how _hard_ it is. It's okay to feel it." Galo simply let his warm hand rest between Lio's shoulders for a moment.

"It's just… you guys are important to me..." Lio lifted himself slightly, no longer leaning on them. "But I know I'll see you in a couple of days…" He said this last part mostly to himself, chiding himself for his own reactions.

"It's still hard. Things are different now," Meis gave him a gentle nudge. "We'll miss you, too."

"More like we'll be worried sick." Gueira half-smiled as he concluded, "This sucks worse than Nosa's snoring."

Both Meis and Lio choked on a laugh as Gueira imitated a loud, snorting inhale.

Unclenching his fists, Lio held his palms out. The way he always used to, to connect with Meis and Gueira with fire. But they were just pale blank canvases now, and one still obscured by a bandage. His Burnish companions understood, and instead of fire, they rested their own warm palms directly against his, foreheads touching his.

Warm. Together. Okay.

Lio took a long, deep breath. Put some pieces back together. Then more. Pressed them more firmly into place even though they were soft and malleable right now. Absorbing his companions' presence to fill in the cracks. He thought of the Burnish and let his own personal inner fire take hold again, no Promare needed. Then he grasped the two hands in his, raised their arms high, threw back his head, eyes blazing and declared, "We're Mad Burnish! Our fire will never die! It grows only stronger, more and more, as we ignite a new, brighter future!"

"Boss!" Meis and Gueira roared, fists in the air.

Then Lio, every inch the confident leader, threw his arms around their shoulders for a final fierce squeeze before clapping them on the back.

"Go bring that future to our people. I'll keep the blaze going with everyone here."

"Yes, we heard about your plans to waltz over to Burnish HQ while we're gone," Meis said flatly.

Lio pursed his lips and turned to glare at Galo, who crossed his arms and looked obscenely unapologetic for someone who went and blabbed. _That stupid update chat_.

"I know we can't stop you and hopefully it will help," Meis' tone was resigned, then it sharpened. "I'm just going to remind you that your job for the next few days is to reserve your energy, get your strength back, and feel better," Meis ticked three fingers as he stated the list, then held them up at Lio's eye level. "That’s _it_."

"And _your_ job is to make _sure_ that happens." Gueira reached over and pulled on Galo's cheek.

"I don't need you to tell me that!" Galo declared, looking offended that they thought he would do any less.

Lio knew his lieutenants understood what Galo meant, but they couldn't overlook the perceived sass.

"Oh- _ho_!" Meis said, wearing a smile that said just how delighted he was that Galo had given them the opportunity for a final round of schooling before they left.

"I think it's time for an update!" Gueira all but roared.

"Guys…" Lio began, but before he could do anything, Meis and Gueira had climbed over Galo and held him in a loose double headlock. Wicked grins contrasting with Galo's alarmed look, they snapped a series of group selfies.

Gueira then selected the "best" picture and sent it to BR3, reading his caption aloud as he hit the button, "Some rookies need to be taught respect. You've been training this one for awhile--please send tips."

"Guys!" Lio practically yelled, directing a fiery glare at his lieutenants and holding out his hand for Gueira's phone in disapproval. Beginning to look contrite at upsetting Lio and murderous that Galo had his protection, Gueira handed it over.

Lio snatched it and looked at the picture and message, quickly updating the group chat entry. Then he tossed it back and crossed his arms.

Gueira checked to see what had changed and saw it hadn't been edited at all. Lio had simply forwarded it to himself as well.

"I said to keep me updated, didn't I?" Lio grinned imperiously.

"Hey!" Galo protested.

Meis and Gueira laughed harder than they had in days and gave the firefighter a few good natured pats, which seemed to mollify him. Lio's smile turned softer as he brought up the image on his own device and set it as the wallpaper.

"There. Now you're with me no matter what." Lio said in satisfaction, looking back up at them.

And then Lio was being hugged--really hugged--by his two best friends and they held on tight and no one wanted to be the first to pull away. When finally they did, it was only a few inches.

Meis reached up and held his chin. Just stared at him, like he was memorizing something. Then, in a tight voice, commanded, "You take care of yourself. I will _not_ accept anything less from you."

Gueira drew his face even closer, hand braced on top of Lio's head. " _We_ won't be okay if _you're_ not okay. So make sure we're okay. Got it??" Lio nodded.

A final hug, and then they pulled away, giving his hands a squeeze as they hopped off the bed.

There was something bittersweet in Meis' tone and gaze as he rested a hand on Galo's shoulder but kept his eyes on Lio. "It'll only get harder the longer we stay, and--"

"The faster we go, the faster we're back," Gueira predictably concluded, but this time it carried the weight of their shared hope.

Meis turned to Galo and let his eyes do the talking one last time. Gueira just chucked him on the arm with a grin that somehow managed to look serious.

"See you in two days, Boss!" Gueira slung an arm around Meis' shoulder.

"I'll be here, so don't keep me waiting," Lio commanded, his lifted chin and determined smile making it a confident promise.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Meis promised back, and with heads held high, they finally departed.

Lio pulled his knees up and rested his chin on them, straining to hear their voices fade down the hallway for as long as he could.

When he really couldn't hear them anymore, Lio sighed and glanced over at Galo, only to find him doing that thing where he observed Lio with a soft intensity that made Lio feel immediately, completely exposed.

"You guys really are brave," Galo noted simply. "But it's okay to let them know you're scared..."

Lio shook his head and hid the lower half of his face behind his knees. Then he straightened and held an arm out towards Galo.

"Come here."

Galo looked at Lio's open-armed invitation like he'd been asked to jump off a building. Lio, puzzled and beginning to close off at the reaction, started lowering his arm. Galo gasped and overcompensated by coming _very_ close. Lio, startled, stared wide-eyed, opening his mouth to say something but nothing came out as the fervor in Galo's shining eyes made his cheeks burn. Galo's gaze moved from Lio's eyes down his face and settled on his mouth, his own parting slightly in response.

 _Yes_ , Lio realized, _I_ should _be saying something_.

What had he been planning to say? There was a reason he had asked Galo over that had somehow gotten overridden by other thoughts. What was it…

"Um…" Lio whispered.

Galo drew an inch closer.

Lio wound an arm around Galo's neck.

"Say cheese?"

And Lio turned to his cell phone and smiled, snapping a photo. He withdrew his arm and looked down at the screen, raising a brow.

"I figured you might want to send a more _normal_ pic after that last one, but I don't know that this qualifies." Lio chuckled as he held up the phone to show Galo, only to realize that Galo's face was still frozen in the same wide-eyed, red-faced shock as in the picture.

Lio poked Galo's cheek, wondering at this reaction. Aina was right, Galo was strangely hard to read even though he was so open.

"You can't send that!" Galo finally snapped out of it, grabbing Lio's phone in ultimate distress.

"Hey!" Lio cried, as Galo's finger hovered over the delete option. He seemed frozen again as he stared at their faces on the screen. Then forwarded the photo to himself and hit delete on Lio's phone.

Lio growled and began climbing over Galo to get his phone back, making Galo squeak and drop the phone at the same time that he wrapped an arm around Lio's waist to try to pull him further away.

"What is your problem?" Lio sulked, picking up his phone and trying to see if there was a recover option.

The sound of a shutter went off and Lio looked up to see Galo lowering his phone from his own combo selfie attempt. Lio drew close again, feeling Galo go still as he brought his cheek almost touching Galo's to look at the screen together. In this picture, Lio looked grumpy and Galo's smile was panicked.

"That one is definitely worse!" Lio cried, trying to grab the phone, annoyed that Galo's reach was longer than his own and his arm was still firmly around Lio's waist, holding him back.

"Well! At least I don't look like in the other one! And everyone is used to your grouchy face, anyway, so this will seem normal!" Galo cried in some desperation, simultaneously trying to hold Lio back and not let him go.

Lio narrowed his eyes and Galo swallowed thickly.

In one stunningly graceful move, Lio had Galo pinned underneath him on his back, Lio's full body weight pushing down against the broader chest and shoulders. He grinned down at him in wild triumph, Galo's phone now securely in his hand. He leaned his face closer and in something between a growl and a purr asked, "Used to my face that way, hm? Then what do you suggest I do with it?" They were so close the hair framing Lio's face was brushing against Galo's cheeks.

There was one breathless, timeless, weightless moment as neither moved.

Basking in the exhilarating rush and trying not to think too hard about why it felt so _good_ to have Galo pressed beneath him like this, Lio was more than happy to savor the experience… until he began to process Galo's expression. He had never seen Galo's face like this, and he didn't know what it meant, but he didn't think it was anything good. The closest he could describe it would be mortification. Or like he'd had some kind of terrible revelation. It reminded him of the look Galo'd had after he'd saved Lio and was worried about starting a fire, which he hated doing. Only… rather than the confusion of that moment, there was an acute Awareness burning like a crisp flame in his eyes. And there was a crushing pressure in Lio's own chest that lowered him just an inch more, because in that moment he felt so _drawn_ , he _knew_ he wanted to get even closer than this, until there was no space.

And he knew that he couldn't.

He'd just be torturing them both, forcing a closeness that Galo didn't want and that he himself wouldn't recover from. There was no going back from some unwanted crossed lines.

He felt the unfair weight of his own feelings against the steady detachment of Galo's. Who clearly was not happy to be in this position.

So he placed a palm on the _inexcusably_ nice muscles of Galo's chest and slowly pushed himself back. He looked away, feeling some of the pain creep into his face despite his best efforts. Slid off Galo, who still had yet to move. Or breathe.

His hand left Galo last, trailing over the ripples of muscles beneath his shirt on its _very_ innocent journey to escape. He heard Galo take a single shuddering breath, but not a second.

Now fully separate, Lio sobered. Sighed and massaged his brow with one hand. He probably shouldn't have attacked Galo in the first place. Recalling past battles, Galo seemed pretty physically competitive. He _obviously_ didn't appreciate being slammed into a bed with Lio straddling him.

(Author: siiiiiiiigh.)

Especially if he hadn't been expecting it, unable to prepare any defense. Lio cringed as he looked at his still shell-shocked companion.

Well. He shouldn't underestimate Lio, this was a good lesson. Unleashed, Lio wouldn't hold back.

Galo still hadn't moved.

Hmph. He shouldn't be _this_ surprised about what Lio was capable of, though. Lio thumped a fist lightly onto Galo's chest.

"Yes, I know regular fighting technique, too, it wasn’t all just the fire. This shouldn't surprise you." Lio addressed Galo's stunned state. "Remember that next time you want to insult me."

Galo very slowly sat up and buried his face in his hands, hunched over.

Feeling a little badly for maybe taking it too far, Lio patted a hand against his back.

"Let's take a proper one this time." He held up Galo's phone in explanation.

Galo lifted a face that was overwhelmed, burning, and teary, and somehow _adorable_ and it stabbed Lio's heart so he decided he didn't forgive Galo after all. It was _so unfair_ to create a _pull_ like that when he didn't want to _hold_. He held up the camera, brought his face close to Galo's again with twice as much glare as before, and took the picture. He didn't waste a second before he hit send with no message to the group. Then he scooted further away on the bed, turned his back, and picked up his tablet, furiously going back to work. He kept Galo's phone and decided he would manage updates for awhile since he currently had the energy and Galo was being unreasonable.

After half a minute, unnerved that Galo _still_ hadn't said anything or protested, he glanced over his shoulder and saw his silent companion had moved from the bed and curled up in the chair, arms wrapped around his legs, face pressed into his knees.

He looked completely overwrought. Another stab in the heart for Lio.

Ugh.

Lio sighed in complete defeat. It's not like it was Galo's fault Lio had the feelings he did.

 _Lio Fotia, once more an ungrateful jerk taking his own problems out on other people_.

"I could…" Lio cleared his throat, held his back even straighter, and tried to channel his usual confidence. "I could still use your help."

Lio almost laughed as he realized he had perfected asking for help without _asking_ actual questions. He was never going to be good at this.

But as Galo peeked over his arms at him in earnest, red-faced vulnerability, Lio melted. _Such_ a puppy. An unfamiliar smile wobbled onto his own face and Galo's gaze became even more intense.

"There's still a lot to do," Again, a statement rather than a request. Oh well. "I find it can help take the mind off… other things, if they're bothering you." Aaaaaand now he was acting like helping _him_ would be helping _Galo_.

 _Lio Fotia, you are a real piece of work_.

Maybe he should apologize for tossing Galo around. Maybe Galo should apologize for insulting him. Maybe they cancelled each other out? Probably. Any discussion about awkward feelings could be avoid altogether, then. He'd go with that.

Galo slowly unwound, swallowed a couple times, took a deep breath, then picked up his tablet. He met Lio's eyes once more, face flushing a little harder again. But his voice was steady as he asked, "What do you need?"

So Lio began calmly telling Galo about what he was working on. Reviewing the parameters for city public services and support that Ignis had sent, identifying obvious gaps in the processing of incoming Burnish, outlining the steps for his special memorial project, and most importantly, creating an itinerary for visiting the Burnish tomorrow. Gradually the distress eased from Galo's expression, turning first resigned, then thoughtful, and a few other things Lio didn't trust himself to read when Galo's gaze would fixate on him. Once more, he took on some of the tasks Lio needed help with.

"Thank you for letting me help." Galo murmured at one point.

Now Lio really did feel like a heel.

"Thank _you_ for helping. You're really smart, Galo."

Galo only seemed to be able to look at him for a second before he had to drop his eyes again. Even his ears were red.

It always felt weird to experience a subdued Galo, and it only seemed to happen when he was genuinely upset. Apparently Lio had really screwed up when he threw himself at Galo.

 _Do_ not _do that again._

An hour passed and Galo's phone reminder to post an update went off. Lio didn't want to lose momentum, so he absently entered the four 3's passcode he had seen Galo mash everytime he wanted to open his phone to take a hasty picture. Opened the photo gallery to post a recent picture and saw a "Lio" folder.

"You have 286 photos in, like, four days!!"

He should have known Galo would grab the phone, but he wasn't really paying attention as he clicked on the folder. He had only gotten to see a handful before the phone was in Galo's hand and both were on the other side of the room.

Lio bit his lip at Galo's stubborn glare as he protected his phone.

"Well, I want to be able to post updates, too, we shouldn't be having separate conversations about a lot of this stuff." He held up the data pad. "It would be good if we were all in the loop. Add me."

"Um..." Galo began, his voice pitching up and the wheels clearly frantically turning in his head. "We've been having a lot of different conversations, not super focused on... I mean, I'll let them know you're joining and will see future messages."

Galo's fingers were flying over the keyboard, and he was clearly sending more than just a simple announcement. Lio rested his chin on his hand and smiled in fond amusement as he watched Galo having a prolonged text conversation, his face shifting extensively based on the responses he was getting. Lio would have to remember to steal someone's phone and see the full conversation later, because this was starting to feel like some sort of conspiracy against him.

As Galo drifted back over and resumed his seat, Lio received a notification on his phone, and opened the blank new chat stream with Meis, Gueira, and the BR3 team.

"Hey Boss!" Was the first thing he saw, and he grinned. Then began a quick message with salient updates, and got confirmation that Meis and Gueira had taken off and were using plane Wi-fi. They knew they would have to go radio silent on and off depending on remote locations and the security required, but for now everyone was connected.

"I still want an update picture, Lio." Lucia jumped in, and several others responded with looking eye emojis, including Galo. He took that as a sign that Galo wasn't too upset at him anymore.

Lio grinned again. Took a quick silent pic of Galo who was following the chat stream on his own phone, captioned it "Inception" and hit send.

He then promptly closed the chat window to ignore any responses, and went back to work, chuckling when he heard Galo making a choking noise as his message came through.

Lio simply continued working with a satisfied smile as Galo whipped his face in his direction. Then, still not making eye contact, still smiling, he scooted over until he was sitting on the edge of the bed by Galo, lower legs dangling over the side.

He really didn't want to be far from Galo and all the warmth he gave. The fear of what he had to face and the likelihood that he would have to _leave_ everyone still haunted him persistently, and that was hard to hide. He had to, though. It was more critical now than ever that they stay on track and take care of things, that Galo and everyone else focused on hope. He was going to see his community tomorrow, and he wanted to _shine_ for them. Put as much courage in their hearts as possible. Plus, Lio knew he had a tough few days ahead, and he needed... reserves. And it's not like they were physically touching. He could still pull away. This was okay.

This was safe...

... maybe. If he could calm his heart down just a _little_ more. He'd practice. He needed it. Galo had promised to carry him again tomorrow. Yes, this was good resistance training for later.

And a deeply needed comfort, for now.

*****

He was so _stupid_.

It seemed so _so_ obvious now.

Not just that Lio was inherently irresistible.

But that he, _Galo_ …

…really, really _wanted_ him.

Like…

…wanted to _kiss_ him. KISS!!!! Yes, _definitely_ kiss.

…

And _definitely_ more.

He liked Lio Fotia in _that_ way.

No, those words still weren't remotely _enough_.

He liked him in a way that wanted _everything_.

There was no confusion for him on that point anymore.

Definitely not after the earlier incident that landed him under the small warrior. Like the unleashing of a backdraft, the full blaze of Lio's soul had infused his face, poured from his eyes, from all of him, and devoured Galo whole, filling every space in his heart, in his lungs, in his whole body and dropping a waterfall of fuel on his already flame-engulfed soul. The powerful grace of Lio's movement followed by his full being pressing down against him, face glowing inches from his own with wicked promise, and Galo had gone up in a fireball inferno. He had wanted to do much more than _kiss_ him. He had wanted to consume him back.

Galo was used to flowing instantly into creative implementation of trained responses to any physical threat. But pinned by Lio, his immediate instinct was not to leverage him off. Pressed against him, they still weren't as close as he _wanted_. His hands were eager to claim that slender waist and flip him over--not to restrain him, but to make sure when they landed _every_ inch of Lio was pressed against his own body. He wouldn't even wait until they completed the turn, his lips would find Lio's and be well on their way to exploring every angle of that sweet, sassy mouth by the time Lio's back hit the bed.

In that moment, the smoke had cleared for Galo. And Lio was there, the fire at the center of his own blazing soul.

Of course. Lio was the single most exquisite thing Galo had ever encountered. And there was no way he couldn't want him.

He wanted their souls to join and catch fire together like they had when they saved the world. There had been no barriers, just the full presence of both their hearts soaring as one, burning without restraint. The perfect moment.

Looking at Lio as he sat in front of him now, everything appeared so _vivid,_ he could see that radiance, every color of his being seemed saturated. He had a strangely real sense of racing along some kind of fiery pathway inside, and flashing in front of him, he could see their shared time together. It painted a brilliant new picture.

Now that he knew what to look for, he realized this desire, his craving for Lio, went back a ways. He had always known the Burnish leader was beautiful, from the second he saw even half of Lio's surprisingly young face. But that external beauty was only a fraction of the attractive force known as Lio Fotia. When his armor had broken away completely, and Galo had stood face to face with this incredible person, it had been a surprising joy to study him up close, to feel Lio's resolve burn as hot as his own despite how coolly he declared himself to Galo, to face someone who wouldn't back down even in defeat, to experience the electric push of an equally indomitable spirit, a matching fire. Something _fit_ here. His disappointment in Freeze Force's arrival hadn't been purely due to their existing rivalry with BR3. He wanted more time with Lio. To make sense of him. To keep feeling that fire. No encounter, combat or otherwise, had ever turned him on as much as that battle with Lio, every step a thrilling dance of equals. _He_ wanted that victory, recognition of _his_ connection with this cool flame, he wasn't about to let Freeze Force take it without a fight.

The days that followed... In quiet moments, it had been strangely difficult to feel good about sending the Burnish boss to prison, and impossible to forget him. Although focusing on Kray's affirmation and the adulation of the crowds had boosted his conviction that he had done the right thing. It's just… he strangely kept having to remind himself of that truth. There was a lingering, unfulfilled desire that haunted him. He tried to only think of the Burnish boss by his title, not the very human name he'd given. Everything about Lio had clashed with his expectations. In unsettlingly pleasing ways. He wanted to know more. And the few facts the news media had dug up on him once they had a name to work with just made it worse. An orphan. A drifter. Young enough to stun everyone.

So when he saw the flying flare reflected in the ice lake, saw the kaleidoscopic colors that reminded him of his most fascinating opponent, he wanted it to be him, even though he knew that was impossible. He couldn't help running off after that impossible chance. Capturing random Burnish in the wild had nothing to do with Burning Rescue's jurisdiction or his own duties, and he had no confirmed backup, but still he followed that fire. It was instinct.

When he had woken up in that cave after Lio had gotten the jump on him--and left him completely unharmed--he had felt like he'd woken up inside some kind of fairyland with their ethereal king looking down at him. Although… not looking down _on_ him, which was strange all things considered. That was the first time he'd learned what kinds of emotions Lio's face could elicit from him. Even in anger, disappointment, and grief, he was so lovely it hurt. His passion stole Galo's breath.

For some inexplicable reason, Lio had talked to him. Meis and Gueira had said that was unusual for Lio. And it was beyond unusual for Galo to believe terrible, unproven things about his idol, yet… somehow… he trusted this mysterious, captivating, heartbroken Burnish outlaw over his lifelong hero. He didn't go _question_ Kray, he confronted and accused him. Because he already _knew_. Based on a single paradigm-shattering conversation with a criminal he'd put in prison himself, he had accepted a truth that almost destroyed him on every level. Why?

Because his soul knew Lio's.

Simple as that.

And as devastating as the truth about Kray was, there was one other discovery in the cave that night that hit even harder.

Lio was sad. Hurting. And he, Galo Thymos, hated that.

So later when he saw the dragon of Lio's grief, the harsh realities of Kray's betrayal and the world's imminent demise released their crushing grip on him. Seeing Lio's pain rekindled his convictions, his ideals reclaimed their guiding light. He was a rescuer, and saving this one person in particular really was worth everything. Lio being Lio had saved him first. He didn't hesitate for a second to run after Lio again and return the favor, restore his ideals.

And fortunately, third time was the charm. This time he caught him and didn't let go.

And then Lio stood beside him.

And then neither of them hesitated to stand together. To fight their enemy. To take care of each other. To save each other. To save the world.

Lio had somehow known him, known how to act as one being together with him, delighted in delighting him. Even _before_ that cementing moment where he opened his heart and shared his fire with Galo, miraculously finding a way to sync with a non-Burnish, Lio had aligned with Galo far beyond anything he'd ever experienced with anyone else. And he couldn't get enough.

The whole time, everything Lio did pulled him closer, fueled his soul fire, synced them ever more tightly together until they had _literally_ been able to join souls.

Because Lio had known his, too.

And then he had almost lost Lio. A terrifying number of times over the past week. Yet those moments of fear, of grieving, of having to endure seeing Lio hurting even more… all of them pulled them more tightly together, showed how their bond made them strong, proved they could weather anything together and emerge even more tightly joined.

Through each encounter, they had danced closer, connected, discovered each other, as what Galo could now recognize was the partner who _fit_ , so perfectly. They grew each other and grew together, as if they were meant to complete one glorious whole.

Nothing had ever felt this real or amazing. He didn't want it to ever stop.

As he sat here beside him now, these memories of their bonding visibly rose around Lio like colorful flames, as if every heartbeat they'd lived together wanted to be seen and relived in jubilation with new meaning.

Through their intense time together, there had been a million things about Lio that stirred Galo's heart--his bravery, his kindness, his strength, his brilliance, his ferocity, his heart big enough to hold an entire people plus an alien race, his stubbornness, his blindness, his flaws, his pain, every one of his smiles--but really it was just Lio himself, no conditions, that moved him.

He had known Lio was there in his soul. He now knew Lio had his heart as well. And with no effort, with just his presence, he drew an endless stream out of Galo, feelings of adoration and caring and desire and wonder and--

LOVE

...

He _loved_ Lio.

The thought was a hushed truth that silenced everything else in his mind.

His brain just started looping this stupidly obvious yet immensely profound point.

Of course he loved Lio.

Of _course_ he loved him.

Oh. _Ohhhhh_.

So many things--so many _mistakes_ now made mortifying sense. He'd been acting so dumb, probably confusing the one he had been blindly pursuing.

Acting like _forever_ was the _obvious_ when he hadn't even known what he himself had wanted in the _for now_ , let alone how Lio felt.

And _that_ was the thing that had pushed him away.

Galo stared at the object of his overwhelming affection, agonizing. _Lio_ …

How could he _show_? How could he spark the same desires in his other half, stoke a joint flame that wouldn't go out? Earn the right to hold him for keeps without letting go? How could he persuade Lio to be his partner forever? Those questions got caught up in a tide of feelings, a hunger, as he studied the man he loved.

Because yes. There was heart. There was soul. And hooboy was there body.

Lio was just _glowing_ right now. There was a focused softness in every nuance of his expression as he made plans to visit the Burnish, something breathtakingly intimate about seeing this unguarded love. It warmed Lio's eyes and brought a light flush of excitement to his cheeks and the perpetual hint of a smile to the contours of his face. His head was just barely tilted to the side away from Galo, revealing a glimpse of the skin under his jaw, and the sight of silk from ear to chin sent Galo's heart thudding against his ribcage. He wanted to taste. But, he couldn't _start_ with the face, the face was dessert, it was the reward, once he had _earned_ \--oh but... but every part of Lio was decadent, every inch a treat to savor. His eyes ran over the jawline again until they fixated on that perfect spot, just at the end, the soft dip right below the ear. That's where he would start. First the softest brushing of lips, the lightest sample, just to prep the palette. And then a little more pressure, so he could feel Lio's body heat melt through that fine, paper-thin skin and infuse his lips with warmth. A warmth he would spend some time there returning. Listening for a change in his breathing, then leaving a trail of fire, inch by inch, down the graceful column of Lio's neck, always seeking to intensify the pace of inhales and exhales. Each spot an opportunity to stoke that fire hotter. Would Lio lift his chin even higher to give Galo better access? Galo would make him want to. He wouldn't miss a single space in that downward pathway, tracking Lio's pulse easily through sensitive lips, using it's signals to learn what Lio liked. And then finding as many ways to give it to him as possible. Until the ever defiant Lio would have to cling to him to stay upright. Galo's eyes continued the trail his mouth would take until it arrived at the collar of Lio's shirt. Something that mundane and functional should never conceal the wonders beneath. It would be his extreme pleasure to peel it back and free those glorious shoulders, extend and expand the path to--Galo stiffened with a jolt as he realized what he was _doing_. Literally undressing Lio with his eyes. The heat in his face became almost painful as he hastily mentally replaced Lio's shirt with respectful hands and forced his eyes to move on from that domain of temptation.

 _Damndamndamn_ \-- _why was Lio so_ \--no!

Galo needed restraint.

And it was the thing he was worst at!

And he had never felt anything this _strongly_ before!

And he couldn't just run off to an ice lake to cool down! The last time he had left Lio for more than a couple of minutes had led to disaster.

And he didn't _want_ to leave Lio.

But why did Lio have to be so gorgeous _all_ the time?! It was _impossible_ not to get… _distracted_!

Trying to avoid dangerous places, Galo's eyes tracked instead the small movements Lio was making as he scrolled through pages on his tablet, occasionally adding text. Delicate digits tapping with padded fingertips, tapered and fine, easily precise enough for the screen's sensors. Simple, predictable gestures, but Lio's were as graceful and fluid as they were efficient. Because of course Lio's hands were so-- _his hands_!!! A burst of excitement spread through Galo's chest as he _remembered_. How could he have _forgotten_ , those splendid hands were where he should have started. Lio's magnificent hands were _sensitive_. How would he react--what would his face _do_ , what would he _sound_ like--if Galo worshipped every millimeter of them, as they deserved. Could he turn all the memories of the pain he had been forced to inflict to happiness? No--not just happiness, Lio was already beautifully happy thinking about seeing his people. No, Galo wanted to see Lio happy in a unique way, just for him, flushed with _ecstatic_ feeling. So that all the restraints he always kept himself under were unwound and pulled away and he just surrendered to being cherished.

Galo took a shuddering breath, trying to pull back from where his imagination was desperate to race ahead to.

How could he possibly have missed this? He wanted _all of everything_ when it came to Lio. He was _starving_ for it.

And the side of the foot that kept gently tapping against his leg was a slow torture. He grabbed Lio's ankle to halt it, his breath catching as his fingers were able to fully circle that graceful transition from foot to leg. His imagination immediately continued under the loose cuff, trailing fingers up a smoothly curved, slender-muscled calf and--

He gave a little squeak as Lio's sigh broke him from his dangerous fantasy. Quickly checking to make sure his hands hadn't pursued his dream course, he focused back on Lio's face, which was looking resigned as he set aside his tablet and gave Galo a nod. He turned further to face Galo, and absentmindedly rested the balls of his feet and his toes on Galo's thigh, pressing lightly as he scooted forward and used his legs as a balance point. Galo pressed his lips together and tried to ignore the almost painful electricity. Tried to keep his gaze steady on Lio's.

"We _should_ figure out what to do about the _publicity_ ," Lio spat the word with disgust, and Galo was grateful for the cold, sobering effect. Lio's brow creased in distress, honing Galo's attention further. He shifted in his seat to better face Lio, his hands intuitively adjusting Lio's feet and coming to rest on top of them to keep them warm. Lio shot him a brief look of surprised gratitude and some of the tension in his face eased. Galo felt like he had _won_ at life.

Sitting with his legs propped up, a couple feet apart, Lio leaned his forearms across his knees and his face settled into that grim seriousness that made Galo's heart ache with a desire to ease whatever burden had placed it there. He couldn't decide whether the pose reminded him more of a prince or a gangster, but it was all Lio.

"It should be just you," Lio started with conviction.

Galo already did not like the sound of this. He frowned. "Just me what?"

"We want to focus on the 'saving the world' part as much as possible, and that would be a lot cleaner and more believable coming from a hero everyone already knows rather than complicating it with a known and feared terrorist."

"Lio." Galo took a deep breath and willed for patience. "There is no way in hell I'm taking all the credit. I'm not doing this without you."

"It's not about _credit_. It's just practical." Lio leaned forward a little further, one brow raised. "You saw how people reacted to me. I'll raise every suspicious, fearful instinct that's probably already on high alert in this crisis. That would be bad for everyone, especially the Burnish, who will be seen as affiliated with me, a criminal. I'm a complication rather than an asset here." Lio angled one hand to indicate himself, then flipped it to gesture at Galo. "Instead, we can have a clear cut hero rescue the Burnish and the world. Make it an inseparable combination-- _you_ saving the Burnish allowed _them_ to save the world." Lio's face became so earnest, Galo was amazed he resisted simply kissing the next words away. "If there is any little thing we can do to help people connect the well-being of the Burnish to their own well-being, that would be a huge step in healing in the right direction. In aligning people and smoothing the way for reintegration." Lio moved his hands as he painted a picture in flowing gestures. Even his fingers persuaded with their fine eloquence. "And it's probably the only shot we have at getting any kind of _justice_ for them. We have to position this so the Burnish are not seen as the problem, but as a key part of what saved our world. I would… _poison_ that."

Lio made it sound so logical. He was the dumbest smart person Galo had ever met. There was so much messed up with his plan, Galo hardly knew where to start. But a little extra vocal volume usually got things across.

"Hell no. I'm not gonna pretend to be a hero while you sit off to the side and--"

"You _are_ a hero, and I'd still play a part." Here Lio did hesitate just a fraction, like he knew resistance was inevitable. "Look. We have to deal with the reality we created. We had to make a lot of drastic decisions in a crazy situation, decisions we made for everyone, the whole planet. It doesn't matter the circumstances, I'm not backing away from the consequences of my actions, however necessary they were."

"I have a feeling you're going to make an even stupider suggestion next." Galo glared at Lio.

Lio looked taken aback for a moment, then pushed back with his own simmering heat, tone shifting from rational to combative.

"Top priority is protecting the Burnish," Lio's glare stated this was non-negotiable. "And there are two sides to this situation we need to deal with. We just have to accept that. There will be as much blame as praise. Probably more. People focus on the consequences they _have_ rather than the ones they've avoided. It's not like there was an easy option. And there _are_ consequences. Look at the city, look at the world, even the Burnish, there hasn't been this kind of damage and pain since the first Great World Blaze."

Galo could see it, the invisible mountain that descended on Lio. Kray was culpable, but the shadow once more tried to shift to Lio. Who had _saved_ everyone. It was infuriating. Why did _Lio_ have to keep suffering from all the fallout?

Galo tried to keep his frustration from turning on Lio, but his hands had tensed against Lio's feet and his voice was decidedly emphatic as he pointed out the obvious. "But _we_ weren't the ones who caused that pain! _We_ prevented--"

"It. Doesn't. Matter." Lio jabbed a finger against his own knee with each word. "We transformed the world. We can take power from the positive outcomes if we don't _screw it up_ by throwing me in the picture. _You_ could do a lot of good. Including for the Burnish. And I fully trust you to carry that torch. Or matoi, whatever.

"For the negatives--people will be looking for a scapegoat for the pain that still remains. Pinning it on Kray isn't _enough_. His image, his influence is too strong. Right now people are already starting to blame the Burnish." Galo saw grief sink like an endless well in Lio's eyes, and his own face twisted in agonized sympathy. "We can _redirect_ that, focus it if we give them something even more believable. I'm already their target, there will be no friction in believing the Mad Burnish boss is also to blame." Lio's face became rigid, his posture stiff, his tone taut with a clenching anger and conviction. "And it's still the _truth_. I failed to protect them, so the Burnish were taken and tortured and killed. Used to set off the destructive chain reaction." The bottom dropped out of Galo's stomach in horror as Lio claimed responsibility for what had happened. "And then in the end, if I hadn't been there for Kray to use, if I hadn't recklessly thrown myself at Kray and let him take me, there wouldn't have been that second attempt at warping that did so much additional damage to the world. Plus, _I_ was the one who ultimately _chose_ how we'd resolve the situation. Who took the fire away from the Burnish. It may have been necessary and freeing, but it also left them even more defenseless and hurting. And outside of that, I'm doubtless going to be arrested again anyway as soon as I'm released from medical care--"

Galo had had enough. Enraged, he rose and planted a hand on the bed on either side of Lio and leaned down into his space. Lio, his foot support suddenly gone, had wobbled forward and needed to grab Galo's arms for stability as he was forced back. His eyes had widened at this sudden shift.

"None of that is _truth_ , and I'm not _doing_ that again!" Galo almost yelled. "Getting a medal pinned to my chest for a lie--yes it IS a lie, Lio--while you sacrifice yourself! You are _not_ to blame!"

Lio looked away dismissively, then tried to come back sounding rational, logical, but the undercurrent of anger still remained as he dodged around Galo's counterpoints. "It's what people will believe _anyway_ , but this way we can focus it in so the Burnish don't become collateral damage! At least this way we can use the _inevitable_ for the good of everyone!"

"Except _you_!"

Lio just shrugged, and sounded impatient, "If it helps the Burnish, it's what I want."

"It wouldn't. Not in the long run. You said it yourself--they need hope and identity. You'd be destroying both if you let the leader they love and look up to become the bad guy. If _you_ surrender to all the ugly stereotypes the Burnish have had to deal with their whole lives, what is that telling _them_? You want the Burnish to have to continue seeing themselves as criminals and victims?"

Lio paled as he saw the implications Galo was describing. " _No_." His voice was hoarse and horrified.

"Without you and the Burnish, the world would have been destroyed. The Burnish were the heroes here--"

"I- I _know_ \--"

"Then why would you want to take that away from them? This is worse than the dragon!"

Lio flinched then looked down, furiously thinking. Recalculating. It was clear to Galo that this was one of Lio's most glaring blind spots. Seeing his own significance to other people. Didn't understand the contradiction of being a strong representative and ideal-bearer for his people and letting himself be destroyed. Still didn't connect his own well-being to the well-being of those who cared for or looked up to him.

Lifting his arms, Galo gently took Lio's face into his hands, pulling his gaze back.

"You are the bravest person I've ever met. You _live_ a beautiful example for the Burnish. That’s worth protecting. I'll stand _beside_ you. We're doing this together, all the way! Don't give up."

"I'm not giving up--but look at me!" (Oh, Galo was.) There was that flash of fear again and Lio pulled his face out of Galo's hands and looked away. "I failed to protect them _before_ when I was-- and now I'm even _less_. I'm just… _this_ now. Empty." His defeated look only lasted a moment before it snapped into a defiant glare that he directed back to Galo. "I _recognize_ how weak I am. There is so little I can do anymore to protect them, so I need to do what I can to _provide_ for them."

Galo did not like the sound of that _at all_ , hated every word Lio spoke. Not only was he overlooking his own incredible strength, it was like Lio wasn't expecting to _be there_ anymore. Galo felt like he had swallowed an ice cube and it was slowly freezing its way down his throat.

Lio continued, "What matters is making sure the Burnish have someone who _can_ protect them. I trust you to do that in this case. If I damage _your_ credibility--"

"And after?? When they need _you_ for the long term? You're not disposable, Lio. Don't abandon the Burnish."

Shock and then fury filled Lio's face and he punched Galo none to gently in the chest with the side of his fist.

"How _dare_ \-- Aband--I would never do anything that wasn't best for them--" Lio choked on his words, unable to finish, face journeying from anguish to anger to anguish again.

Galo easily wrapped his fingers around the fist that was still raised, trembling against him. He couldn't keep the agony from his own face as he pressed to reassure.

"You're a needed _strength_ for your people. That hasn't changed."

Lio shook his head in frustration, fury barely restrained as he almost pleaded with Galo. "I fought for _separation_ this whole time. You'd be better able to protect them now as we try to integrate than I can. The governments, the public, they'll listen to you, believe you. You're a hero. I'm a terrorist."

Anger. "That's not true!"

Impatience. "It's the perception."

Outrage. "But it's _not true_."

Fury. "Perception is the truth in this world!"

Desperation. "And it always will be unless we fight for the truth!"

" _Don't be naïve._ " Lio voice was a hissing snap. Galo sucked in a breath as he could suddenly see a familiar pathway of fire in that amethyst gaze, could _see_ the years of disappointment and grinding persecution flash through Lio's eyes, stealing all but the hardest core of hope as he reviewed their evidence. "No matter… what happens the next few days, I'll never have a normal life, Galo. I was all over the news--I'm _the_ Burnish terrorist. I'll always be a target." That kernel of hope twisted until it bent around Lio and became directed at Galo, trying to persuade with its warped logic. "Might as well use that, right? To help the other Burnish? Draw the public's ire? Strengthen _your_ ability to protect them?"

A buried anger clawed its way up Galo's heart. To see how deeply the lies Lio had been forced to live under had sunk in and shaped the reality he believed he had to manage. No wonder it was so hard to see his own future. No wonder hope struggled to take root.

His anger burned against these lies that had been crafted with intentional cruelty. He wouldn't let them have Lio.

"We aren't like _him_! That's all Kray ever did, lie and control perceptions! I _believed_ that all those years, but I would have _wanted_ the truth. We're not even giving anyone a _chance_ to be good if we're not honest. Lies created this pain! They're what makes people distrust and fear each other! How much would have been different if only the truth had been known _earlier_. In keeping it back now, we would be continuing Kray's work, continuing to diminish the Burnish rather than highlighting a Burnish hero."

Lio scoffed. "I'm not a h--"

Galo cut him off as if he hadn't spoken. "It's the truth or nothing. You're not going down alone. And we're not letting Kray win. We did it together. And we'll face the rest _together_. That is how _we_ are strong."

Galo firmly took Lio's uninjured hand and twined their fingers together, palm to sensitive palm, in unspoken solidarity. A tense fragility began to filter into the hurt and fury in Lio's face.

"What happens to you _matters_ to us. We still need you."

Galo shifted Lio's other hand, still fisted against Galo's chest, eased it open, and placed it's palm over Galo's heart, covering it with his own. Lio's eyes widened further, fighting to keep up their defenses.

"And you can need us."

Galo drew even closer, until their hands were trapped between their chests, almost no space between their bodies.

"You want to protect everyone, well, I want to protect _you_." Galo's fervor unmistakable in his voice. He could feel the fire in his eyes as they burned for Lio.

Lio released a shaky breath then immediately sucked another one in and held it. He didn't reply as he continued to stare into Galo's eyes, and Galo could see he was struggling hard. Then some wall seemed to crack, to break, and Lio dropped his face, hair swinging forward to partially hide it. He gave a small nod of surrender.

Galo didn't want Lio to feel defeated. So he gently released his hands and instead brushed Lio's hair behind his ears, lifted his face again and said with sincerity, "I know it will _help_. I want people to see the real you. It changed _my_ mind, after all…"

 _It changed my life_.

"…and you know how headstrong _I_ am."

Lio huffed and a wobbly smile appeared. It was like the world's most powerful magnet had been activated as Galo saw the vulnerability so clear in those beautiful eyes despite a seemingly infinite strength. And that radiant glow shone out--the one Galo had seen when Lio thought about his people, or stared unguarded at the doorway after Meis and Gueira walked out, or embraced the flowers he adored. Only this time it was for Galo, and it somehow managed to pour inside him, taking a soul he'd thought was already burning and making it warmer, brighter. Whole. The faintest of tremors ran through Lio's lips. And the pull was so strong, there was no way it wouldn't reel Galo in the rest of the way until… _almost_ …

But that's just what _he_ wanted. Even more than a kiss (and that was saying a _lot_ ), he absolutely did not want to screw this up. He'd already made so many mistakes. In this moment of Lio's vulnerability, without knowing how he felt… it _wouldn't be right_ to push it.

Galo grit his teeth as he forced himself to pull away. His hands lingered, reluctant to follow. Thumbs ghosted over smooth cheeks before the palms unwillingly retreated.

For a moment, Lio moved forward, following Galo's hands as they pulled away, then with a look of pain, pulled back and dropped his eyes.

"I can't do this... it's too strong..." Lio agonized under his breath.

Galo took a deep breath and refocused, tender and attentive. "What can't you do?"

Full restraint was impossible. Galo's hand couldn't help returning. It gently smoothed through Lio's hair and down the side of his face. Still avoiding Galo's eyes, Lio shivered, then stiffened at the touch.

After a long moment of silence, Lio responded.

"I… I don't know how to do normal." His eyes shifted to the side and continued to avoid, and Galo got the feeling he wasn't saying everything. Still, based on their earlier conversations, he knew the idea of a normal life was something Lio did struggle with.

"You won't be alone. I'll help you."

Lio laughed softly, the sound touched with melancholy. "You just can't help it, can you? _Saving_ people."

"You deserve a life with everything. _All_ of everything." Galo _tried_ to blunt the blatant desire in his tone.

"I can't have _everything_ ," Lio spoke quietly and finally allowed their eyes to connect, giving him a meaningful, resigned look that Galo didn't know how to interpret. What couldn't Lio have?

At Galo's openly puzzled look, Lio's fists clenched, a tension growing.

"It'll mean prolonging this… companionship. If we do it your way, we'll probably _have_ to go through a lot of questions and hearings and interviews... together. We'll be _stuck_ together."

Lio looked incredibly depressed at the idea. His knuckles had turned white.

Oh.

Oh that _hurt_.

That _hurt like hell_.

"We... You... That would bother you? Still being together that much?"

"I just hope... I just need... _breaks_."

From _Galo_.

Lio looked even more miserable. He wasn't even trying to hide it.

Galo's heart just died.

"I won't... I'll respect your _boundaries_. Always."

Lio's face tensed further, jaw tight, and his voice took on a rasp of desperate frustration even as his tone grew forceful.

"I don't want to have to _do_ that all the time, though, guard against-- It's... It's _tiring_ , it takes effort, to have to think about putting up barriers and having to enforce them. To have to fight against the constant pull with you. It... it _hurts_ , Galo."

Apparently his heart _hadn't_ died fully the first time, because now it definitely perished. His attraction, his affection, _upset_ Lio.

"I'll give you space." He could only whisper.

"I guess that's a start." Lio didn't look any happier. His shoulders had fallen forward.

Galo drew further away, shattered pieces falling inside. But Lio suddenly lunged forward, looking terrified, and grabbed his hands in a tight grip. Then squeezed his eyes shut.

"Don't start just yet, though. I still... I still need you right now." Lio scooted further forward until he could lean his forehead against Galo's shoulder. "Don't let go _yet_."

Galo's horror maxed out as he realized he had inadvertently made the comfort Lio _needed_ into something he _feared_.

Galo didn't know what he was supposed to do, what would _help_ Lio right now. Very slowly, he turned his hands and began moving them up Lio's arms, barely touching but signaling in every way he could and giving him plenty of opportunity to move or push away the touch. Lio just reached forward and wrapped his fingers in Galo's shirt. So Galo wound his arms fully around Lio and held him in an embrace he tried to make as supportive as possible without straying into intimate. He imagined Lio was one of his Burning Rescue teammates to get it right.

He marveled again that he had been _so stupid_. It was so obvious in this moment how he _wanted_ to hold Lio differently from anyone else. How he couldn't imagine holding Aina or Remi or-- _anyone_ the way he wanted to hold Lio.

"I know it doesn't make sense," Lio acknowledged, not quite an apology or an explanation, just openly recognizing that his request was contrary. Asking for temporary access to comfort he claimed not to want.

Tears sprang to Galo's eyes and he just wanted to strangle himself for making Lio feel this way. "You just tell me what you need... and what you don't. And that's exactly what I'll do."

Another resigned sigh. Then a miserable voice.

"For now, don't let go. Stay with me."

For now.

Which meant _later_... he _would_ have to let go.

There was no way Galo would be able to do that.

*****

Lio could tell the initial boost of energy from Heris' treatment was beginning to wear off. As the fatigue started drifting back and settling in, his inner space became more visible again, and it was turning gray. He was looking at an abyss. He wasn't yet there on the path, but he could see where it dropped in and disappeared. The longer he held on to the hand, the closer he got to that gaping hole.

Galo had this way of making him feel so cared for. Safe, protected, valued, cherished. Strong. In such a short time, he had filled so much color into Lio's world. Set it on healing fire. He found every crack and tenderly repaired it. And held Lio's hand through it all. Took dark things and made them bright, took lies he had accepted and fought them back.

His presence filled such a big part of him so quickly, and fit so perfectly, he was terrified to think of the void that would be left when Galo left. Especially since he was still aching everyday from the living fire's absence. He couldn't help trying to hold on to what he still had… for now.

When Galo moved on, Lio would have another dark, lonely emptiness… so much worse because he was getting used to the opposite, would know what he was missing.

At the edge of his awareness, he knew what this was.

He just wasn't willing to bring it closer and examine it, have to name it, make it _more_ real.

 _Awareness_ of the impending void just created a vacuum that Lio was struggling to resist, that demanded he submit to Galo's gravity. To latch onto the thing that would soon tear him apart.

He was trying, though. So hard. To pull away before it was too late.

It might already be too late.

Just try to be normal. Don't cling. He was the Boss. He was strong and decisive. He kept his distance. He held it together. He moved on as soon as it was needed. Lio Fotia didn't _cling_.

His damn fingers didn't always listen to him, though. So he had to compromise.

Okay, he would hold on for just ten seconds more.

Okay, maybe that wasn't realistic, _just_ ten more.

Okay, twenty, but then--

Let go.

Let _go_.

LET GO.

With a jerk that made Galo jump, Lio released his grip on Galo's shirt and yanked himself back out of the embrace. Swallowed against the tightness in his throat and took a stabilizing breath. Grabbed his tablet so his fingers would be filled with something else.

"There's a lot-- there's a lot to do still. To get our story straight." He barely heard his own words, and kept his eyes turned decidedly away from Galo. "Why don't we each draft the points that we want to make sure are included, and then we can compare and pull it all together."

Lio risked a glance at Galo and stiffened.

How did he keep doing this.

How did he keep _doing_ this?!

He hated when Galo was hurt or unhappy, and yet Lio kept sending him to the extreme end of both.

Galo looked _broken_. Unmasked misery held every line of his face tight, his eyes were grieving more deeply than if tears had been present. Shock and remorse momentarily dissolved Lio's defenses. In a disorienting moment of imagined inner connection, Lio could feel intense pain in heartbeats not his own, bleeding out.

Galo looked down and Lio turned towards him more fully, half extending an arm that wanted to immediately give comfort.

Damn. He was _so stupid_. He had been so focused on his own struggles, he had overlooked how Galo might be impacted by them. But of course, Galo was caring and trying to take care of him, trying to do a good job. So Lio deliberately pushing him away would feel like rejection. The distance between them might not matter to him, but the sense of rejection from being pushed away too early, before the job was done, would.

Lio stared at the ceiling for a moment in agonized defeat. Then he scooted over.

"Let's do it together."

Galo barely moved as he glanced up. "I don't want you to feel--"

" _Now_." Don't make him not-ask again.

Galo hopped up on the bed so quickly, Lio bounced a bit and couldn't help the half smile that broke through. Then he settled himself, just close enough to make it possible to work on the same tablet together.

"The arrest and prison break were already reported on, so probably makes sense to start with the attack on the settlement and the collection of Burnish people," Lio stated, trying to focus on the task to diffuse any lingering tension. Galo nodded.

And they began drafting their account. The awkwardness was quickly buried as their powerful natural sync clicked between them. Lio would write the bare facts. Galo would elaborate with inspiring gusto. Lio would edit it back. Galo would start a passionate rant. Soon Lio was intentionally writing 3-word sentences and Galo was waxing poetic with exaggerated analogies no one would understand, and they were snickering and laughing as they passed the tablet back and forth trying to outdo each other.

Somehow Galo's arm ended up casually around Lio's shoulder. Somehow Lio's head found that perfect spot against Galo. Somehow Galo's cheek came to rest on top of it. Somehow Lio's ankle ended up crossed over Galo's. Somehow Galo picked up that Lio was feeling cold and draped a blanket over both of them. Somehow he didn't seem to mind that Lio's now-standard 105F temperature, pressed against Galo's side and captured beneath the cover, was clearly making him too hot--enough for a flush to persist across nose and cheeks, Lio saw. He tried to scoot over and give him some relief, but gave up when even an extra inch of distance dropped a shade of sadness across Galo's face. When he shifted back, the arm across his shoulder tightened and Galo absentmindedly pulled him closer than ever. Which made Lio a different kind of warm. He sighed mentally and began hearing funeral music as he drew closer to the pit in his path.

Somehow, they finished a passable draft and sent it to the group. Somehow Galo managed to keep his arm around Lio and eat their delivered dinner one-handed with only a little help from Lio--okay maybe more than a little, but he had to make sure Galo got enough to eat, right?

Somehow, they ended up leaning back against the pillows and talking about their final battle and comparing notes. Turns out different things had stood out to each of them. Lio always found it interesting to hear the unique way Galo saw things. Lio pretended exasperation on occasion, but even then found it as charming as it was infuriating.

Somehow that led to a recounting of their first battle, too, which was a much fiercer debate. Both pretended they had been winning the whole time and tried not to be too obvious in their blatant admiration for the others' countermoves. And as a comfortable pause settled between them as they remembered the rush of that encounter, Galo asked a very good question.

"Why did you tell me your name? If you don't like publicity? No one knew who you were, you could have faked it. Why reveal your real identity publicly?"

"Three reasons." Lio declared, holding up four fingers. Galo raised a brow but Lio continued without pausing.

Eyes fixed across the room in memory, he held up one finger.

"We needed to set the stage--Mad Burnish's top leaders were going to get caught and be visible at last, and we wanted to be seen as _human_. Not just nameless, faceless Burnish pariah. Fake names don't hold up long. We had no power within the government system, but we had names and would demand recognition as _people_ whether or not anyone would treat us that way."

He held up a second finger.

"When you know a flare is coming, you take hold and direct it to reduce the damage. We were about to strike out against society's admired Foresight Foundation and Freeze Force more publicly than we ever had before. That was going to cause anger and a lot of heat. If we had just been "Mad Burnish", it's the Burnish part people would focus on. They'd become even more aggressive towards us as a people, expose the Burnish to greater hate crimes and policies. Give our enemies even more power to use against us. So by giving them a single name--"

"You'd be giving them a _specific_ target to focus on--"

"--rather than letting them choose everyone. Exactly. The Foundation and its allies and rivals had been hunting the Burnish for years, but they got extremely aggressive in the last two. And they figured out that eliminating the Mad Burnish protectors left the rest of the population vulnerable for the taking. We did what we could to maximize our resistance, but it was a pretty one-sided struggle. We were down to just the three of us, breaking people out and hiding even more secretly."

Galo sighed heavily. "We should have noticed, should have done so much more, so much earlier," he murmured in heartfelt regret. "None of this should have ever been all on you."

Lio wasn't going to excuse the world at large for their neglect and persecution of the Burnish. But he knew where most of the blame lie. "The Foundation had a monopoly on information, on the public narrative, playing into their fears. They made it easy for everyone to remain comfortably in ignorance, and to quietly, persistently reinforce their prejudice. We didn't think we'd ever be able to break that hold."

The idea of attempting it now made his insides clench. Galo's arm held him a little more firmly.

"When we battled you, we thought we were starting a final campaign series that would last awhile, inevitably making it something that would draw notice. I hoped my name would help shield the Burnish from the recoil of our last, desperate, whatever-it-takes, publicly visible fight against Kray."

"But…" Galo began and then stopped. Seemed to think better of it and fell silent.

"Say it."

Galo began rubbing his thumb against Lio's shoulder. "Seeing you get captured… seeing you fall… didn't, uh, didn't you tell me before, that…" Galo grit his teeth, his embrace tightening as if he was trying to protect Lio from a blow. He pressed his cheek more firmly into Lio's hair and finished his thought. "Didn't you say that's what made the guy who betrayed you lose hope?"

Lio went deathly still. He wasn't even sure his heart was beating.

"Hey, don't take his choices on your shoulders, too," Galo rushed on, bringing his other hand to the side of Lio's face and turning it towards him. Lio didn't resist, his eyes just frozen wide in devastation. Anguish shrouded Galo's expression. "My _point_ is that lots of people made choices. These decisions… they're not just yours. And neither are the consequences. To bear or to own." Galo's voice was gentle but firm with conviction. His thumb brushed back and forth against Lio's cheek, the rest of his fingers massaging down the back of his neck.

Lio turned his face and pressed it into Galo's shoulder, hiding it. Galo's hand shifted, holding Lio's head there, cheek and fingers burying in his hair, letting him have a moment. Lio let it wash over him, the scale and scope of these consequences, and his heart mourned anew. He sent another silent apology to each of the faces he wouldn't see in life again thanks to the events of the past few weeks. He had overlooked so much. Something as simple as his name. Galo told him not to take all the consequences, but if he was the one who had made the decisions, he _was_ the one responsible for what happened.

But letting it break him would double down on that harm.

Galo continued to cradle him as he added, "I just mean, what happens to you _matters_ to us. And we all are responsible for these situations. So let's make sure to tackle them together, okay?"

Lio gave a small nod against him. "Don't let me make the same mistakes again."

Because, y'know, Lio Fotia's requests always came out as commands. It was just his thing apparently.

Galo just chuckled good naturedly. "Check! I have permission to annoy ya!"

Lio snorted and poked a single finger rapidly into Galo's side to prove he could match him in that department, as well. Galo's surprised shout and squirm was profoundly satisfying to Lio.

Plus it gave him the opportunity to pull back without it seeming personal. Galo's embrace was _way_ too comfortable.

Galo's eyes seemed to dim as he realized he'd lost his hold on Lio, who leaned back against just his arm, the way he originally had been.

Well, final confession time, might as well get it over with.

"I'm afraid the third reason I revealed my name was just plain petty," Lio spoke at last.

He held up a third finger, but then drew his hand into a fist as his voice got deeper, rougher with fury.

"I wanted Kray to know my name." He couldn't help the fierce scowl that formed. "To know Lio Fotia was the one who was going to take him down. _His_ name had become a feared curse for us. So I wanted _my_ name to be in _his_ nightmares."

Talking about Kray recalled a protective ferocity to Lio's soul that needed _action_. His traitorous hand decided the needed action was taking hold of Galo's. Lio's eyes fluttered closed for a moment as the warmth from the contact shot straight from his palm into his heart, sinking in and soothing it when he hadn't even known it was hurting. After a couple of beats, Lio's eyes snapped open and he frowned down at his hand in disapproval.

Well.

Letting go now would be… not good.

Too obvious.

Might come across as rejection again.

Damn it.

He never wanted to see Galo's face broken like that again. It was _banned_ from the catalog.

Lio sighed in resignation for the hundredth time that day. Then soldiered on to complete his explanation to Galo's question.

"So, yes, petty. A kind of revenge. I was so angry. I imagined declaring my name to him personally as I confronted him at some point--heh, not unlike your posing, actually. I guess we're really not so different."

"But you didn't…?"

"No. After meeting you..."

To be honest, from the beginning Galo had confused the hell out of Lio. He was so used to being able to read people. And Galo seemed so straightforward. But he kept surprising him. Where was the disconnect?

He had specifically _chosen_ Galo, too.

\-------

He remembered the day he first saw him. As he, Meis, and Gueira reviewed footage of Promepolis' different Burning Rescue, police, and Freeze Force teams to select who would be the best group to arrest them, Lio had been particularly interested in seeing BR3's rookie in action.

After all, he was the kid who had made Kray Foresight famous. His little poster child. The favored of Lio's archenemy.

Was there a way to use this Galo Thymos to insult Kray in their own capture?

He hadn't expected Galo himself would turn out to be a better reason to face off against this team than insulting Kray would have been. Given his connection with Foresight, Lio _expected_ Galo to be either a cruel and complicit soldier or a stupid thug flunky.

But then he watched the video of Galo's solo rescue of Thyma, and he was fascinated.

Galo was straight up brash, impatient, and foolish. But in a seemingly courageous way.

Tactically creative, surprising.

Fearless, didn't let anything stop him.

Unwilling to leave anyone behind. Willing to _risk his life_ to protect a single person.

Went into a burning building fully clothed. Came out intriguingly bare chested.

He was… legitimately interesting.

Which confused Lio.

So he watched the video again.

And again.

This made no sense. Lio had to see this man for himself.

"He's the one," Lio declared to his lieutenants. "We'll face off against him."

Meis tilted his head at the video, trying to understand Lio's reasoning. Gueira simply gave him a confused look and said, "But… he's an idiot."

Lio's lips quirked. He was beginning to look forward to this. "Then it shouldn't be difficult to manipulate the situation the way we need, should it?"

And when Galo had finally arrived before them, Lio had watched. He had more than watched--Lio had wanted to make an _impression_. Just like Galo had on him.

So he made himself a comfortable seat. That took up the entire skyline.

Even though Galo was obviously itching for a fight, he put the rescue first. Lio respected that.

He was a complete fanboy of some weird stuff, but his unapologetic passion for it was… stupidly appealing.

He had taken out his first two opponents with energetic zeal and remarkable skill, but not the cruelty and abuse they were used to from Freeze Force. He wouldn't have stood by if the firefighter had tried to harm Gueira or Meis, but he simply neutralized them and moved on. Loudly.

To him.

Galo's eyes now exclusively on him, he descended from on high, constructing the bike to beat all bikes from scratch, slow enough for his audience of one to fully appreciate, determined to make an entrance so memorable, this firefighter would never forget him. He started with making an impression on his face.

Lio's heart picked up as he remembered this face-off with Galo, bright, fierce, so foolish, strangely wise.

His presumptuous ignorance which infuriated Lio was surprisingly tempered by a desire to understand his opponent's motivations and correct them. It was arrogant, but with better intentions than he had expected. So Lio tried to explain himself, in the middle of a battle, to a clueless government lackey of all things.

Because he knew Galo was something more.

Galo fought him with heart, conviction, and ingenuity that matched Lio at every turn. As exciting as it was unanticipated. He'd never fought anyone so skilled and fierce who was also honest and without malice. It was refreshing. He should have thrown the fight much earlier, but… he didn't want to back down from someone like this. From someone whose passion made Lio forget for a few moments how terrible everything was. It was like seeing a firework in a dark sky, and you just want to keep looking for even those very last embers of light because their brightness and colors had been more real than the darkness for awhile.

Like Lio, Galo held nothing back as he acted on his ideals, without being vicious. Unlike Lio, Galo left his heart completely open, yet was so _confident_ in that exposure. From the very beginning, that had been ridiculously compelling. That naked smile.

But how could someone who would knowingly hurt the Burnish be in any way good?

Instincts clashing, as Lio had held him at sword point and stared him down, he struggled to understand the deceptively simple man who seemed to have thought he won.

Because he had. It took real effort to hold his own against the team, and he only had to hold himself back once to solidly lose. Well, except for those silly ice bracelets at the end, those would never have restrained him.

When Galo in all his stupid cockiness got right in his space and introduced himself, Lio found the proximity as engaging as it was irritating. The opportunity to study this man up close. He couldn't help but introduce himself back. Honestly. Because in a way, that had been the whole point of choosing to go up against him.

Lio had gone into battle with nothing but anger and grim determination, but finished it feeling _alive_. Challenged. Rekindled. Captivated. Wanting to know this man and be known.

Even back then… there had been a strange pull. And it pulled him away from the consuming darkness to something… bright.

So he had given _Galo_ his name instead of saving it for Kray.

He had been bad at resisting Galo from _before_ day one.

\-------

Head still on that warm shoulder, Lio took a deep breath, bracing himself as he prepared to return some of Galo's signature openness now.

"Meeting you changed things." Lio's eyes were trained on the blankets. "I'm grateful it turned out differently. That I didn't throw it away on _him_. My name is all I have left of my family. I'm glad I gave it to someone…" He looked up at Galo. Pressed his cheek against his shoulder. Caressed his face with his eyes. "Worthy," he breathed.

The blood drained from Galo's face as he froze in absolute shock. Then it flooded with color so deeply and quickly, Lio almost worried about his circulation.

Tears gathered in Galo's eyes and he opened his mouth but no words came out. He looked so overwhelmed. Lio gave him a mostly-stable commiserating smile and tried to lighten the atmosphere. "Besides," That came out a bit shaky. "You gave me your name first."

Apparently Galo was capable of turning even more red, his face winding up even further. Lio blinked. Then realized how that sounded. Giving someone your name. The double meaning.

How did that keep _happening_?!

Galo's arm tightened and his other hand broke from Lio's hold only to wind around his waist and pull him closer, angling him to more directly face Galo. Lio pulled in a breath, keeping his own arms between them, feeling his face heat up and freeze as Galo secured him in his embrace. Lio couldn't break his gaze.

"Then why does it bother you? If we're together?" Galo's voice was rough but his expression was so earnest, so eager to understand and make things right. "What did I do wrong?"

Now Lio paled. What?!

" _Nothing_. It's not _you_. And it's not _wrong_. I just…"

Lio froze again. How had he made Galo think _he_ was the problem??

Hellfire.

Should he just tell Galo? About his strange difficulty with getting too attached to him?

Galo's eyes were just honest, open. Ready to listen and understand.

Cinders and smoke. Better to have his pity for unreturned feelings than see him suffer because he thought Lio was _rejecting_ him as a person. There was nothing worse in this situation than causing Galo pain. And maybe if he _understood_ that Lio wasn't able to so casually attach and detach… That Lio cared for him at a deeper level… Maybe he could _help_ Lio keep the right distance.

A snap of fear chastised him. That was too idealistic, that's not how it would play out.

Because wouldn't that pity then turn to _more_ obligation? Galo was kind and caring. If he knew how Lio felt, he would feel pressured to be with Lio longer, even though--or, or move away _faster_ to prevent it getting worse?! Both bad. And either way, it would make things awkward for _life_. How could he explain it so it wouldn't make things worse? So it would _free_ Galo without driving him away? Why couldn't he just make this be _normal_?!

It was moments like these that Lio realized he still wasn't physically 100%. His mind was whirling but feeling sluggish and tired at the same time, leaving him unnaturally indecisive in these uncharted waters.

So, simplify, using Lio Fotia's Process for Dealing with Terrifying Things.

Step one: figure out what the right thing to do is and commit to doing it. Be brutally honest.

That one was easy. Without explanation, his behavior was hurting Galo. So he either had to stop pushing him away or explain things.

Step two: recognize the consequences and accept them. Brace for what is to come and prepare to let go, as needed.

Lio grimaced and braced himself to receive both pity and distance.

Okay, just tell him.

Okay.

Okay.

 _Okay_.

He took a breath, shifted to face Galo even more fully. Placing his palms against Galo's chest, he tried to push past the churn and form coherent words. "I just... can't do that with people. Get close and then--"

His throat closed off. He could _feel_ it, what it would be like when these arms let him go, his vivid imagination almost convincing him they already had. His own lungs tried to hold him hostage, prevent him from triggering that event.

Galo's brow creased in concern as he studied Lio's face.

"Hey…" he soothed, making a small circle against Lio's back with his hand.

 _Coward_ , Lio snarled at himself. _Keep going_.

"With you," Lio had to pause because his breaths had become short and shallow, only allowing for a few words at a time. "It's worse." Short breath. "Because I…"

He was making it worse, he could tell by the pain creeping into Galo's eyes.

"…because I can't help…" Difficult breath. "…wanting too much…" Lio couldn't remember what words came next as tendrils of black started creeping in from the edge of his vision.

"Lio, just breathe," Galo's voice became clear, concern for Lio's distress overtaking the previous pain in his eyes as he went into rescue mode.

So Lio did, focusing on regaining physical control, but he also scowled. This was only a momentary retreat, he was determined.

Sadness and something very warm flowed over Galo's face as he perceptively read Lio's response.

A knock came from the doorway, drawing both their gazes.

Heris rapped her knuckles against the open door and popped her head in, halting in the frame. Her eyes widened as she saw their intense moment, Galo's arms holding Lio close, their faces definitely nearer than was casual, their legs partially entwined.

"I'll just come back--" she whispered and began backing out of the room.

"No!" Lio shot up straight as some level of crisp thought arrived with her. He was going to hurt Galo worse if he continued like this. He had to get it together so he could say it right.

He cleared his throat and scooted so Galo's arms released him and there was space between them again. Heris shot Galo an apologetic look.

A glance at the clock showed it was _somehow_ already 8pm, time for his next treatment.

Following Lio's lead, Galo began moving away, shoulders drooping, until Lio grabbed his wrist.

"This is important, so I just need to think, to say it with a clear head." He scrunched his brow. "Let's make sure to talk about it. First thing tomorrow morning. After a little rest." He made sure his voice held the resolve he wanted to communicate, a firm promise, and Galo nodded. "You did _nothing_ wrong," Lio made sure to reemphasize, letting his thumb trace down the side of Galo's wrist in reassurance. After studying him for a minute, something eased in Galo's face. A familiar confidence returned to the smile he gave Lio.

"I'll wait for you to be ready," Galo's expression was bold and soft. A high-pitched sound came from Heris' direction. Galo made an awkward face and clarified, "To talk." Then he stood up off the bed. Lio cataloged both of those expressions for later and pulled himself together.

Heris had stayed close to the door through all this, lips and hands pressed firmly together, eyes diverted. Her face was as pink as her hair.

"Here for the next treatment, I presume?" Lio asked, to draw Heris' attention.

She looked at him, nodded, and walked over, grabbing the medical chart clipboard from the end of his bed and removing a vial and syringe from her bag.

"How are you feeling tonight, Lio?" She stood beside Galo and studied her patient, glancing at his vitals monitor then down at his chart.

"Almost normal. Just tired from a long day," he reported.

She flicked one eyebrow up and glanced at him with a twinkle of amusement. "Hopefully you'll be able to get _some_ rest tonight."

"I'll make sure of it!" Galo promised, raising a determined fist.

Heris snickered, "I'm sure you will."

Lio kept his face carefully blank.

Smiling more easily, Heris efficiently administered the shot, then briefly looked over the now-faint traces of the bruises on his hands from earlier that morning.

"Good to see those cleared up already. Means the energy boost is helping your healing speed, as we hoped."

Lio perked up a bit, realizing the soreness everywhere did seem to be almost gone. As he untied the front of his shirt to check, he heard Galo's make a choking sound, saw his fingers twitch from the corner of his eye. Ah yes, the guilt. Well, he hoped seeing Lio shirtless provided some relief this time, because as he pulled the material away, it revealed that the bruises were almost completely healed now. He grinned over to Galo who for some reason was averting his eyes.

When he looked back over to Heris, she was simply smiling knowingly. Then it softened as she nodded at Lio. "It's not surprising that you're tired already. Your body has done a lot of healing today. I recommend more than 8 hours of sleep tonight, if you can manage that."

He and Galo both nodded.

"Have a good night, both of you." She turned, marking the chart, and took one step away before Lio grabbed a bit of her lab coat. She glanced back.

"Thank you," he said sincerely. A spark of pain lit her eyes at his gratitude, and she quickly turned away, but didn't pull out of his grasp. "This has made all the difference. I can see the Burnish tomorrow. And they won't have to see something broken."

Lio heard Galo pull in a deep breath. Heris reached back without looking and grasped his hand. Held it and squeezed with a strange kind of desperation. Then let go and hastily walked out without turning her face back to them. Lio could see a new tension in her shoulders. He hoped he hadn't upset her.

He was definitely going to take her advice about a good night's sleep. It would be amazing to have two in a row. Lio began peeling the medicated strips off his chest with great satisfaction. Having patches and tubes and sensors stuck to his body was getting really old and brought back the ghosts of too many ugly memories. He wanted to be free of everything.

"I can't get the ones on my back," he stated and shifted to give Galo access while continuing to work on the front. Oh, oops. _Ask_ for help. At least he caught himself. "Can you get those ones?" Progress.

"Sure," Galo said, a strange lingering tension in his tone. But he sat in the chair beside him and began the familiar process.

As soon as Galo's fingers touched his bare skin and began carefully peeling away the coverings, Lio wondered how he could have asked for this help so casually. He felt a tingle rise from his stomach with each brush of gentle fingertips and tug against his skin.

Then Galo stilled for a moment and Lio tried to steady his breathing, find a thought to distract himself with...

"You're not broken." Galo's voice held an emotion Lio couldn't quite identify.

What? Oh, his comment to Heris.

"Mm. That's what I said." He was still searching for something to take his mind off his helper's touches.

"No. You said you don't want them to _see_ that you're broken."

Lio gave Galo his full attention now, trying to understand what he was getting at. He turned and looked him fully in the eyes.

"Yes. Because I don't want them to see _themselves_ that way. To have anything mar their identity or hope." Lio's voice felt weary as he tried to explain a concept he'd been trying to reinforce for years. "For so long, the world said that to have fire, to be Burnish, was to be broken, flawed, disgusting even. They tried to make it true with what they did to us, what they took, what they reduced us to. But it's not true. They--we, are wonderful just as they are. We are." Lio's brow creased as he tripped over the pronouns.

Galo didn't call that out, though. After a moment where his eyes looked too wise for Lio's liking, he simply said, "Being _without_ fire doesn't make you broken, either."

And just like that, Lio felt _naked_.

He felt the blood drain from his face as a cold feeling of panic and exposure burst like an absolute zero bullet through his chest, up his throat, down into his stomach.

Lio's thinking mind hadn't been able to process Galo's last words before the firefighter added, "Being injured or hurt or tired doesn't make you broken, either. Needing to heal and being different after doesn't make you broken. It's just... Growing."

Galo cast his eyes over to the vase of flowers--not to the crack in the vase, but to the living blooms Lio loved, each different and ever-changing as they had continued to become what they were meant to be. Living change.

A stinging numbness spread inside him. In his lungs. In his face. In his hands. His mind was racing without words, trying to connect intense feelings with logic of some kind as time stretched and contracted. Walls and pathways crumbling as soon as they formed and the only clear thought was bewilderment that he was so unsettled by nothing.

Concern shone in Galo's eyes as he observed Lio's demeanor, but Lio could tell he was trying to keep his face normal. Lio could have sworn he felt the hand on the path squeeze his just a little tighter.

"What do you know about being broken?" Lio's voice finally took form but it didn't feel like his own. And the words were not a defensive accusation, it was a genuine open question seeking answers or a direction to follow. So he could move inside again.

Galo's own breath was suspended for a moment. His eyes became… not guarded but… cautious. Then he simply held out his hand, palm up. Waited. Lio's found its way there, and the larger fingers curled around his.

Galo spoke without hesitation, but his eyes fell to the blanket in thought. "Someone at the orphanage once said that even though our families were broken, we could still have good lives. I only heard the broken part. And I got really angry. I was angry for a long time. Or maybe sad, it was hard to tell. Because it wasn't something I could fix. I could only try to help other people not get broken in the same way. It took time, but…" Galo tilted his head. "When I saw all the different ways people built family, when I found something like that myself again, I realized it was only the way I was thinking that was broken." Galo finally looked at Lio again and _grinned_ , of all things, even though his eyes were extra shiny. "And that was something I _could_ fix. Even if I didn't have all the answers right away."

The bravery in Galo's smile stole Lio's breath from his already straining lungs at the same time it released the ice that had locked his bones. His shoulders eased even as his chest stilled. He didn't know why it all made him feel better even as he ached imagining little Galo feeling broken. He knew that feeling so well, so secretly. It was easy to call out that lie in everyone else, but it still felt like the truth in himself.

Then a vibration, a crack, rolled through the inner path where Lio stood as Galo seemed to feel a new realization, his fingers giving the barest twitch. Somehow Lio felt, knew, Galo was experiencing an undermining doubt, a newer blow. But then Galo simply declared with that ironically vulnerable open confidence and a thumb pointing to his chest, "I'm still working on it!"

On the path and in person, Lio squeezed the hand back in affection, comfort, affirmation.

The brave smile grew brighter than ever, the eyes kinder.

Lio tipped further over the edge.

How could he possibly resist this man? He wanted to protect, to hold, to heal, to live, to l--

Lio silenced himself like a void snuffing a flame.

But the sun's gravity was simply too strong to break orbit.

Galo studied Lio, still silent but without the frozen tension he'd initially triggered. Lio could feel himself physically waver slightly in place. Galo smacked his hand into his thigh and stood, giving Lio's hand a final squeeze before releasing it. "We should sleep!"

Lio shook his head and blinked, trying to follow the transition, his brain kicking back to a semblance of normal thought. He noticed Galo shift to a more flustered pose, eyes temporarily diverted as he scratched the back of his head and gestured between them.

"Uh, I mean not together, just go to sleep, I mean, get some sleep." Lio raised a brow that questioned Galo's stuttering sanity. Galo glanced back and rushed to conclude, "Because it's late, well late enough, and you look all--you're tired and we need more than 8 hours and tomorrow... Uh. Tomorrow we have a lot! So, we gotta rekindle our soul fire! _Fires_. Separately!"

Lio was really starting to worry about Galo.

But watching Galo move in a single step from profound open depth to energetic awkwardness, he had to smile at the Galo-ness of it all. A great deal of fondness overflowed from his leaking heart and overtook his face without his permission.

Both the confidence and the fluster evaporated from Galo's expression until only the unguarded openness was left filling the eyes drinking in Lio's adoring smile.

"Trying to slack off, eh?" Lio teased, finding his voice at last. "There's still a lot to do."

Galo's return smile was shaky for half a moment, then doubled down in self-assured conviction. "And we can do it tomorrow!"

"Pfft. You sound like Meis."

"Thank you."

Lio raised his brows and did a slow blink of disbelief at Galo.

"What?" Galo shrugged. "Meis is really smart. Always listen to Meis."

Lio gave him a flat, wide-eye stare. "Oh no, he got to you."

Galo plunked down in the chair again as they both dissolved into chuckles for a second before both their phones buzzed with an incoming message on the group chat. They paused. No way it would actually be--

It was Meis.

Galo and Lio exchanged an unnerved look. How did Meis do that??

Fortunately it wasn't a psychic intrusion into their previous conversation. Just an update that the two traveling Mad Burnish were going to be landing in a few hours and would probably be out of range most of the next day.

Lucia sent a crying face emoji and insisted the pair send a photo update themselves to tide her over. Lio laughed out loud at the series of exaggerated prop-heavy photo-shoot-style pictures they sent from the plane with Gueira's "Anything for you, Luci."

Still chuckling, Lio looked over at Galo.

"Hey."

Galo looked up from where he'd also been following the chat with a smile. His gaze sharpened as he took in Lio's soft expression.

"Let's do a real picture." He extended his arm one more time, backing up again to make room for Galo.

Galo's face softened to match his. He nodded but instead of immediately joining Lio, he braced his hands on his legs, head bowed, and took a few deep breaths. Like he was preparing himself for an ordeal or something.

Oh.

Well.

Lio supposed the last time he'd made this offer, he had kind of thrown him on the bed and stolen his phone and generally harassed him. Yeah, he sure had done that.

Rubbing his fingers against his temple to ease away the cringe, Lio looked around for something to break the awkwardness and put Galo at ease. His eyes landed on the scarf and hat that were still on the side table from the day before.

"Should we use props like Meis and Gueira?" He grabbed the bundlings then paused, eyes widening. Glanced from the hat to Galo, who had looked up at these movements. "How… do you possibly fit all that crazy hair under a hat?"

Galo grinned. Seemingly released from whatever had been holding him back, he hitched himself up on the bed, and sat facing Lio cross-legged.

"Easy!" Galo declared, taking the hat from Lio and making a show of pulling it smoothly over his hair and finishing with a confident pose, hands on his hips and chest out.

A rush of heat immediately went to Lio's face.

Ohhhhhh, damn.

It was _sexy_.

That hair that always sent Lio's stomach swirling and launched an intense craving in his hands now fell from under the hat, curved down, framed Galo's beautifully expressive face on one side, and brushed teasingly against his neck. There was something about the strands brushing one side of his throat and leaving the other scandalously bare that sent a burn deep in Lio's gut.

Ohhhhh, there was so much Lio wanted to do to that hair, to that face, to that _neck_ \--what should he start with in this feast--he wanted to mark them all as _his_ \--

And Galo was…

Stupidly

Grinning

….

Galo was one of those idiots who wouldn't even _know_ he was _pure fire_.

He probably went around all winter looking like this and having no idea what he was doing to the people around him, like an idiot, a sexy IDIOT… Lio should teach him what that makes people want to do with him…

Galo deflated slightly with a dubious pout as Lio remained glowering and silent. "Why are you glaring? This was your idea."

Galo reached up to take the hat off, but Lio snapped a hand forward and grabbed his wrist. Commanded him with his eyes _not to move_. Galo let out a shaky breath. Swallowed. Lio moved closer, keeping eyes locked on Galo's, rising up on his knees. He lowered Galo's hand between them. Lifted his own free hand, eyes never breaking contact, and _very_ slowly tugged the hat off as Galo's cheeks grew steadily darker.

As the hat finally gave way, Galo's hair immediately sprang back up.

Lio's eyes shifted up and widened, his fingers went slack and dropped the hat. There was a single transition moment, where blistering heat expanded into buoyant air, and then Lio couldn't help his open-mouth grin in delight at the way Galo's hair had literally just reformed in all it's impossible spunky glory, the hat entirely not up to the challenge of taming such follicular confidence. He didn't think twice, just burst into giddy laughter, plunged his fingers in, and reveled in combing them through. This was sooooo satisfying, he thought, wrapping his arms even further around Galo's head and pulling him closer to have full access.

He only paused when he felt Galo's hands circle his waist. Looked down to see Galo staring up at him in unconcealed wonder. Like Lio was something he couldn't take his eyes off of. Lio tightened his fingers.

For a moment, he believed he could have this.

 _Don't believe a lie_.

A flash of pain replaced the bubbling joy and the moment began to hurt.

His smile dimmed.

"You should be careful with hats," he instructed with a quiet, husky voice.

With one last comb of his fingers and an adoring palm at the side of Galo's head, Lio released him and sat back, trying to casually avoid Galo's gaze while his heart did overtime. Galo's hands resisted letting go for only a moment before dropping limply to the covers. His fingers met the fallen hat, and he picked it up, running the brim through his fingers as if needing to occupy them.

Lio felt strangely out of breath and in no hurry to start a new conversation, so it was Galo who made the first attempt.

"What about you?" Galo asked, lifting the hat and twirling it on one finger.

Lio tilted his head. "I've never really had to wear hats… never got cold before."

"I wanna see!" With a smirk, Galo reached forward and tugged the hat down on Lio's head.

Lio raised a brow. It was a bit of a tight fit with his hair volume.

And of course, Galo immediately started taking pictures. With a faint roll of his eyes, Lio went along with it, turning his face to the side with a saucy look, chin on his fist like he'd seen billboard models do.

"How do I look?" Ridiculous, he was sure.

All Galo managed was an unintelligible, wavering sound.

Lio's eyes widened as he could feel the hat slip. Then it gave up on containing the sheer quantity of Lio's hair and dragged only the top layer with it as it popped up to the top of his head. Lio's face scrunched up in an awkwardly startled expression.

The combination made Galo burst into the most genuine laughter Lio had ever heard, and he couldn't help joining him, feeling its soothing magic as it released every bit of the day's tension still lurking in his chest. Lio pulled the hat all the way off, and all but fell forward, put his hands over the phone in Galo's hands.

"Don't send those," Lio breathlessly begged between the random puffs of laughter still bubbling out.

Galo's laughter quieted into a silent exhale and he stilled as he stared at Lio. The sparkle of unrestrained joy in his eyes settling into a deeper ember as he got that odd look of… concentration? Somehow both focused and zoned out, intense and far away as his gaze traced over Lio. Lio knew his own face was flushed from the recent laughter and his hair was all wayward, and he was still smiling and gasping to catch his breath. Galo's look deepened as it took in these details. Lio backed up and began combing his fingers through his hair, growing a little warmer as Galo stared at his disheveled state. He must look a mess.

"I guess that's why I should be careful of hats, too, huh?" he quipped with a smirk.

"I like hats," Galo stated with certainty in a voice as deep and smooth as an ocean without a breeze. His eyes were dark and fixed, tracking Lio's fingers as they wove through his hair, and he seemed to be not fully present, carried away on his imagination.

Lio looked down and tried to pull himself together, recover a little dignity. After a few moments, he smoothed a final hand over his hair, hoping for the best, and smiled over at Galo as he extended an arm one more time.

Only, even before Lio reached out, Galo had frozen again, holding the back of his hand up to his mouth, his cheeks fever red and eyes almost too bright, as he still stared at Lio.

"Um… picture?" Lio prompted.

Galo's eyes shifted to the embrace Lio was offering and he finally moved. Brought his fist to his forehead for a moment, closing his eyes as though clearing his mind and bracing himself at the same time. Then he was there beside Lio, sliding an arm firmly around his waist.

Oh. That did feel nice. Having experienced it multiple times in one day, Lio could _scientifically_ confirm that the effects had been tested and Galo's arm wrapped around his waist was an _objectively_ pleasant experience regardless of whether it was advisable. He was allowing this _for science_.

And if you're going to test something, best be thorough. Lio moved even closer, pressed his side to Galo, and wound an arm around his neck. Taking a moment to nestle his cheek against his partner's, Lio raised his phone to take the picture as Galo took a deep, focusing breath.

He made sure to snap a few, just in case, and then, without moving from his spot against Galo, brought the phone close and reviewed the pictures with him.

Oh.

They looked…

… _full_ of joy.

Like their whole world of happiness was in their arms. There was this noticeable _glow_ from the inside as if they completed a circuit together and the electricity was able to shine forth. He was used to seeing that warm light in Galo's eyes but… it was there in his, now, too. Like a tentative new hope. All the more treasured because it was unexpected.

Lio didn't want to share this picture with anyone else.

That was petty.

It wasn't like there was only one copy.

And Galo wasn't his.

Still, his heart couldn't help a snarl of resentment as he hit Send and shared him with everyone else.

He only had time to see Aina's, "Awww" with a teary-eyed emoji before he hastily signed off feeling a bit flushed. He tightened his arm just slightly around Galo before he pulled back. Galo sighed and moved towards the edge of the bed, but his arm stayed behind at first. On its departure from Lio's waist, Galo's hand made a stop for several seconds firmly pressed flat against his lower back, sending tendrils coiling through Lio's abdomen. Fingers trailed right at the hemline on their way off.

Lio burrowed back into his pillows as Galo stood, willing his face to cool off. Brought his blankets up to his chin, turning slightly on his side. Let the fatigue weigh down his limbs at last. Took his ten millionth steadying breath of the day.

And thought of tomorrow.

He'd finally get to see the Promepolis Burnish. The last time he had, they were suffering acutely. He had a feeling seeing the progress in their recovery would go a long way to easing one of the aches he was carrying inside. And he'd get to talk to Gueira and Meis--the ache for them had steadily been growing stronger as the day went on and he actively resisted feeling for the internal connections that weren't there anymore. He'd get to hear how the Burnish further abroad were doing, maybe even talk with some of them again as the remote communications were set up. And. He'd get to be held by Galo again. He _had_ promised, so there was nothing he could do about _that_.

With so many happy things to look forward to so soon, Lio couldn't help smiling and curling up a little tighter with an excited shiver.

He glanced up at Galo who had an indecipherable expression on his face as he stared down at Lio.

"Good night." Lio said in hushed joy without losing his smile, before pulling the blankets a little higher, right over his nose and snuggled in a bit more with a sleepy blink. He could almost hear Gueira: the faster he fell asleep the faster tomorrow would come.

Galo, ever unpredictable today, gave a choked, frustrated sigh as he tilted his face back, the heels of his palms digging into his eyes while his fingertips curled in his hair. His whole figure was filled with a strained energy.

Was it so hard to say good night? Why was Galo so confusing?!

Galo let his arms drop and clasped them firmly behind his back. With a tight smile he said a half-hearted "Good night" and turned to head over to his cot, leaving Lio feeling a little dismissed. He tried not to be disappointed, because what was he expecting?

He had closed his eyes and was waiting for Galo to flip the light switch on the way to his bed when something brushed the hair back from his forehead followed by something warm and soft briefly touching the center of it. By the time Lio had opened his heavy eyelids again, Galo was already turning again, and he hastily flipped the light off.

Lio raised his fingers to the spot on his forehead. And felt deeply warm as he drifted off.

****

Galo lay in the darkness, hands futilely covering his face.

He had asked for this.

An eternity ago, back on that first day of their victory. He had imagined it. Wanted to see all the sides of Lio that he hadn't yet. Happy. Excited. Passionate. Amused.

Soft.

 _Galo, you fool_.

He could not _handle_ soft.

Or tender.

Or flustered.

Or _smouldering_ , holy shi--

Galo threw his hands in the air and let them fall at his sides in complete surrender.

He had wanted all this, he just hadn't known it would kill him. He was pretty sure it would _literally,_ at this point.

There was no way he would survive another day like this in one piece. Definitely not without straight up kissing Lio. And once he had a taste, would he really want to stop at kissing?

Hell no.

Have you _met_ Lio Fotia?

He now knew better than to underestimate that fire spirit's intoxication. His soul should come with a damn warning label. You just had to _look_ to feel the burn inside.

And it ran the full spectrum. Soft could kill as surely as the searing.

And if Lio looking so soft was going to be a nightly thing…

Galo grabbed the pillow from the cot next to him and pressed it over his face.

He had really, really, REALLY wanted to dive right into those blankets and snuggle and wrap them up so tightly together there wouldn't be an inch anywhere separating him from all the warmth.

He held his breath until he couldn't bear it any longer. Then yanked the pillow off and gulped in air.

There were few things in the world that could hold Galo back in normal circumstances, and Lio was super ultra mega plus circumstances.

Yes, sure, he was inherently complicated. His situation was _insane_. His ties to others daunting in scale and scope. The dangers he faced unrelenting. He constantly fused unbelievable burdens to his own soul. His wounds reached ponderously deep. He froze people out instinctively.

It wouldn't be easy.

Didn't matter.

All worth it.

None of that was even remotely enough to keep him from throwing himself in and damn the consequences, as long as it meant having Lio. There was only one factor that mattered, one thing that had the power to hold Galo back.

Lio.

Specifically consideration for his feelings.

Lio, who found it so hard to show his more vulnerable emotions. Who feared being tied to something he could care about. Who didn't understand the effect he had on others, especially Galo. Who saw Galo as a friend he was just beginning to trust and rely on. Who almost made himself pass out just trying to describe a single one of his feelings.

Such a stubborn, tough little spitfire. Galo smooshed his face into his pillow for a moment again, kicking his legs, feeling like his love would break him.

Then a sharp pang hit him and he held the pillow pressed to his heart, hoping that would ease the ache.

Because even though he was balls-to-the-walls Galo, he now knew the _adverse_ effect he had if he pushed too much when he admired someone. Kray had left him with no doubt of that.

So he wanted to _try_ to be considerate of the other person this time.

Galo jerked over onto his side in frustration.

It's just… why did Lio have to be so breathtaking so often?!? Was that fair?!

No. He could do this. How had Meis and Gueira described it? Lio was the exceptional among the exceptional. He wasn't some normal guy like him. To earn the extraordinary, you had to put in the effort. Be…

… _someone Worthy_ …

Tears sprang to Galo's eyes as he heard Lio's voice whisper those words again.

His own fears began prickling through as he felt just how precious Lio was to him. The situation was still so dangerous. Two days left now. He could not screw this up. Unless Lio trusted him, opened his heart to the support and hope Galo offered so he could just _survive_ … this time, neither of them would have a second chance to get it right. He had to focus on what would give Lio strength. Not his own selfish desires.

He would do it right. He would be there _considerately_ for Lio over the next few days, build up trust until they were _really_ out of hot water, and then he'd have _time_ to patiently earn _more_. He would be _very_ focused on that effort.

Lio was very definitely worth waiting for.

As long as Galo survived that long.

Until then…

He drifted off imagining the pillow he cuddled was something significantly more comforting.

He was almost in dreamland when a random but clear thought rang through his mind and jerked him awake.

He had been hypnotized all day with thoughts of what he wanted to do to Lio. But if this all worked… if Lio eventually accepted him… what would Lio do back?

Galo shoved the pillow over his head, this time to muffle the high pitched sound that was determined to escape as a memory of that wicked smile and enthusiastic, commanding hands pushed to elaborate. He had seen it. When motivated, Lio took _initiative_. And required significant _persuasion_ to let anyone else take it back.

Dammit.

This was going to be a long night.

****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAHAHAHAHAHAAA!
> 
> I'm with Galo, I almost couldn't handle this chapter. 😑
> 
> How you doin?
> 
> Hope it's a comfort to realize that story elements were crafted so there is intentional resolution and payoff. I'm not just escalating tensions for no reason or wallowing in angst. I'm actually really looking forward to the revisions for the next (and final) three chapters.
> 
> That said, I care about reader experience, so I want to make sure they're all ready to post pretty close together and not leave you in suspended momentum during the third act. Because I'm working full time, plus helping a friend with another client contract that needs to be finished by the end of the month, plus finishing another big fic that is posting end of May for the [Promare Big Burn](https://twitter.com/promarebigburn?lang=en) thing, I expect the rest of these chapters will go live in June. Hope you'll hang with me until then! I'll be antsy having to wait, so will probably just console myself responding to your comments on the past couple chapters, because there have been some great ones and I'll need a geeking out outlet.
> 
> I'll try to post writing updates on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/akadoreengreene). Hah, also all the author notes I cut out from here. 😝 Thank you so much for the likes and retweets last time. 😭
> 
> Fic dedicated to Spectrospecs, as always, for bein' best beta.
> 
> Random notes:
> 
> Huhuhu, Lio was all like, "having sensitive hands sucks," but I bet Galo can make him happy about it every now and then… (nooooo, stop it Fran, you're so bad… heh heh heh, yeeeees.) Galo, sweetie, you just need to let Lio do your hair and he'll get there on his own (STOP WHAT ARE YOU DOING OMG BACK AWAY FROM THE KEYBOARD).
> 
> Sorry. *cough* Anyway.
> 
> Remi is going see the back-and-forth changes that were tracked while Galo and Lio were drafting and be like, how did these two manage to flirt nonstop through a press release?
> 
> And I need to do a BR + G/M side story because hahahaha, what are they thinking when they get furious+smittenpanic Lio/Galo photo and then some hours later the justmarried shot? Hahahaha…
> 
> Lucy actually popped her head in when she heard yelling, took one look at their passionate debate, and popped right back out. Probably devising a new betting pool.
> 
> For clarification, their discussion and draft didn't cover anything about what Galo went through before the dragon. Galo just said Kray told him about the magma when he went to visit him, and of course Lio didn't want to hear about how Kray and Galo were all close, so he didn't ask for details, just got sulky. So Lio still assumes Galo was just going about his normal life. That'll be clarified next chapter. I have a feeling things will go the way of the dragon when Lio finds out.
> 
> So, I remember in my first viewings of Promare, after the first battle was over I was always like, that was so sexy?!?! Lio totally seemed to be showing off more than any other time in the movie... Except maybe when he was giving Galo what he wanted during their mech battle. 😏  
> And then I was like, his throne reminds me of a peacock tail. And what do they use their tails for? Mating dance. And then everything in that fight took on that connotation, and my imagination did the rest to build a plausible explanation for Lio to be in seduction mode. I have immensely enjoyed the intro battle more ever since.  
> I really want to see an AU with Lio as a serious peacock and Galo a plucky rooster. Or, like, families/tribes. The royal family's symbol is the peacock and there's an independent Rooster tribe always up to something, or vice versus.
> 
> I also want a Robin Hood AU with Lio as Robin (duh) and Galo as Maid Marion, haha, with his evil uncle, the usurping Kray, and Vulcan, the sheriff. Has that been done before? I'm so looking forward to finishing this fic so I can finally read everyone else's.
> 
> There's a little more to the story of Lio giving Galo his name, but that'll come up in the sequel. Heh heh, in front of a love rival (I may have already written that scene, heh).
> 
> Hahaha, poor Heris, walking in on their moment. Then having to stand there awkwardly. We still luv u, Heris. Plz still save Lio.
> 
> Next chapter:  
> Awww. So now we finally get to go visit the Burnish! Lio will be so happy! And Lio's ready to have a real feelings talk in the morning! Galo will be so happy! And they'll get Meis and Gueira's updates about the Burnish rescues! Lio will be so happy! And the treatment will finish restoring Lio's energy! Galo will be so happy! And Galo will get to carry and cuddle Lio again! They'll both be so happy!
> 
> All the happies for all of us.
> 
> Finally.
> 
> :)
> 
> :)
> 
> :


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